Chapter 23: The Taste of Conspiracy

“Please confirm your adventurer seals. The teleportation array is activating. 3… 2… 1…”

After finalizing the interview mission, Su Qi and the Cangyou Wildcat Team stepped into the teleportation array.

As the guild staff’s crisp countdown echoed, Su Qi felt the world spin, her body weightless. The bustling, brightly lit adventurer hall vanished, replaced by a dark, quiet expanse. The air turned cool, carrying a faint natural breeze.

Experiencing the teleportation array for the first time, Su Qi found it magical. After a brief daze, she stomped her foot, feeling solid ground, confirming her arrival in the Sacred Ruins.

“Hehe, Su-jie, first time in a teleportation array? Feeling dizzy? It’ll pass. Here, have some water!” An Xiao Ling chirped, clinging to Su Qi’s arm like a koala, her doll-like face nuzzling her shoulder, exuding a sweet, loli-like milky scent—adorable and obedient.

An Xiao Ling handed over a cartoon-stickered water bottle with a straw, her right arm raised high, the picture of a caring little sister.

Su Qi’s emotions were complex. If she hadn’t known about An Xiao Ling’s peculiar yuri preferences, she’d be touched by the gesture. But in her Crisp Wife form, the sight of the cartoon cup triggered thoughts of “indirect kissing.” Her mind conjured An Xiao Ling shyly licking the straw after she used it.

Shaking off the unsettling image, Su Qi waved off the cup and cut to the chase. “Xiao Ling, I’m not thirsty. Let’s talk about the interview.”

Lin Xue, leading the team, pulled out the mission scroll from the board. “Boss Su, your delicious bentos proved your support abilities beyond doubt.”

Glancing at the team, who showed no objections, she cleared her throat. “As a B+ adventure team, we often explore the Third Ruins Plane, where unexpected situations arise. For your safety and ours, we need to assess your self-preservation skills.”

She unfurled the scroll under Su Qi’s gaze:

Spirit Snake Fruit Collection (B+): In the Second Ruins’ lower layer, a purple fruit forest grows rare snake-head-shaped fruits that boost ability EXP. Beware: spirit snakes guard these fruits, agile and teamwork-driven. If bitten, quickly suck out the venom, use antidote, and seek medical aid.

Su Qi wasn’t shocked. Given the team’s strength—upper-tier among ability squads—a B+ mission felt reasonable, with E-rank too easy and S-rank too hard. Still, the thought of navigating a snake-infested forest made her scalp tingle.

Though bold as a boy, her Crisp Wife form seemed to shrink her courage, leaving her apprehensive about facing slithering creatures.

Sensing her unease, An Xiao Ling puffed out her flat chest proudly. “Su-jie, don’t worry! I’ll protect you from behind!”

Her ring flashed, summoning a delicate shortbow. Nocking a feathered arrow, she drew the string with her slender hand.

Whoosh~

The arrow sliced through the air with a sharp whistle. Though the Ruins’ darkness obscured her vision, Su Qi, close to An Xiao Ling, felt the arrow’s force and speed.

Howl~ Thud!

A beast’s wail echoed, followed by a crash from above.

Impressed and a touch envious, Su Qi realized An Xiao Ling’s elf ability didn’t just grant green eyes and cute ears but also elven night vision and archery prowess. It was as if her classmate had “job-changed” into an elf, explaining her yuri tendencies and quirky “playstyles” from her novels—elves were known for odd preferences in fiction.

This led to a chilling thought. If An Xiao Ling’s elf ability shaped her behavior, could Lin Xue’s “Blood Princess” ability mirror a vampire’s traits? Recalling dinner at Lin Yin Mansion, Lin Xue barely ate, only sipping winter melon soup while peeling shrimp for Su Qi. Her earlier comment about Su Qi’s “sweet blood” now felt ominous, especially with the mission’s warning about sucking out snake venom.

Shivering, Su Qi wondered, ‘Is Lin Xue-jie setting me up? Am I her real “bento”?!’

(ΩДΩ)!!!

As she spiraled, Lin Xue’s teasing voice rang out. “Boss Su, what’re you thinking? Let’s go~ Slurp~”

Her silvery voice carried a hint of conspiracy, making Su Qi’s heart race with foreboding.