Chapter 34 - Actually, I Have a Cheat Too

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Dragon's Spit Fruit

 

 

The next day dawned bright and clear, with the air crisp and fresh.

 

It was nearly afternoon when Ge Yan finally woke, or more accurately, when he was forced awake by someone who couldn't stand his lack of "hostage" spirit. Not only had he slept like a log on his first night in captivity, but he'd slept until noon. Most people would have spent the night in anxious, sleepless fear! But perhaps his calm earned him a bit of respect, as his captors even chatted with him after delivering his lunch.

 

"Brother, our boss says that since you behaved decently yesterday, you can roam the mansion today. But don't get any ideas about escaping—if you're caught, you'll pay with your life."

 

Ge Yan nodded enthusiastically, munching his lunch. They could offer me a pile of gold, and I still wouldn't run.

 

The mercenary chuckled, finding Ge Yan surprisingly likeable—polite, and decent-looking too. "If you're still hungry, you can head to the kitchen yourself. Just go straight, turn left, then left again, and you're there."

 

"Thanks, big brother, I'll remember that." Ge Yan wiped his mouth, pretending to be casual.

 

"Just call me Ted," the mercenary replied, pleased by Ge Yan's friendly manner. To Ted, that straightforwardness was a refreshing change from the highborn types he despised, with all their endless rules, acting like delicate ladies.

 

"Alright, Ted, and you can call me Jimmy." Ge Yan said with a grin, his eyes gleaming as if he'd spotted his prey.

 

Just then, another mercenary poked his head in and grumbled, "Ted, when did you get so chatty? Don't forget he's still with Black Wolf."

 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Ted said, unbothered.

 

Ge Yan didn't mind the other man's attitude; after all, he wasn't planning on betraying Alice, so there was no guilt to weigh him down. Instead, he spent the next two days subtly working to gain Ted's favor. If his success with Ted were measured on a scale of one to a hundred, he'd say he'd hit forty by now. It was far from halfway, but considering that Ted had initially wanted him dead, it was still no small feat. By the fourth day, the benefits of his efforts started to show.

 

Having spent the past two days sharing meals, today's lunch was just him and Ted.

 

He thought back to Rex's instructions. Since that night, Rex had returned once with some useful news, and Ge Yan knew it was time to act. Feigning nonchalance, he asked, "So, Ted, why's it just us for lunch today?"

 

"They're out gathering intel," Ted said, unaware of Ge Yan's intentions.

 

"Intel? Don't tell me it's about Black Wolf Mercenaries. You guys aren't planning to bring down Captain Locke, are you?"

 

"Something like that," Ted muttered.

 

"What do you mean, 'something like that'? Either you are, or you aren't."

 

Ted suddenly eyed him with suspicion. "Why so interested all of a sudden?"

 

Ge Yan replied, unfazed, "Isn't it normal to be curious? You think I'm gonna run and tip them off? Even if I knew where they were, I wouldn't help them. I can't stand Black Wolf—if they're in trouble, I'll even be celebrating."

 

"Well, that's true." Ted thought about it and realized Ge Yan's behavior had been perfectly normal during the past few days. He seemed more like an Alice member than a hostage—eating and sleeping like he didn't have a care in the world. His suspicions eased, Ted began telling him about their recent activities, feeling it wasn't much of a secret.

 

Ge Yan's comment the other day had sparked their current scheme, and Daniel had since ordered everyone to spread that rumor. The plan was working well; they'd confirmed that Captain Locke now didn't dare return to the capital. But that was just the beginning; even if he avoided the capital, the Strych family would learn of it eventually.

 

"So, if I understand right, Captain Locke's probably scrambling to avoid punishment from the Strych family?" Ge Yan's eyes lit up.

 

Ted nodded. "Exactly."

 

Ge Yan clapped his hands as if remembering something. "You just reminded me—I once overheard Captain Locke and Captain Marvin talking about something related to that."

 

"What was it?" Ted asked eagerly.

 

Ge Yan pretended to search his memory. "I think I heard Captain Marvin mention that the Dragon's Spit Fruit might solve their problem. I don't know the details, though; I couldn't hear the rest."

 

"Are you sure you heard them say 'Dragon's Spit Fruit'?" Ted stood up, his face bright with excitement.

 

"Definitely."

 

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Ted scolded, a bit frantic.

 

"Well, I had to remember it first, didn't I?" Ge Yan replied. And without Rex's help, I'd never have "remembered" it at all.

 

Ted, now preoccupied, dashed off, leaving Ge Yan alone to wonder what the Dragon's Spit Fruit was. Oh well, he thought, mission accomplished. He resumed munching his food happily until Ted returned to find him with a satisfied expression.

 

"You've still got time to eat? Come on, the captain wants to see you." Ted hauled him up and led him outside.

 

"Slow down—I'm a bit too full," Ge Yan grumbled, stifling a belch.

 

They quickly arrived before Daniel.

 

Daniel looked the same as ever—handsome, commanding—but his gaze was sharper now, carrying an intensity that hadn't been there before. He wasted no time. "You're certain you overheard them mention the Dragon's Spit Fruit?"

 

Ge Yan had barely nodded when Daniel's ominous voice cut through the air again.

 

"You'd better not be lying to me. You saw what happened the other day—lie to me, and you'll meet the same fate."

 

"Why would I lie? I don't even know what the Dragon's Spit Fruit is," Ge Yan replied, exasperated.

 

"You really don't know?" Taylor asked, wide-eyed, looking at Ge Yan as if he were clueless.

 

"What's so strange about that?" Ge Yan ground his teeth in frustration.

 

Taylor, oblivious to his irritation, nodded earnestly. "It is strange. The Dragon's Spit Fruit is just incredible. It's a rare fruit containing immense magical power that can boost a person's strength by one to three ranks instantly, depending on their original power. I'm a fourth-rank swordsman—eating it would let me break through to the seventh-rank."

 

"That impressive?" Ge Yan was genuinely surprised.

 

"Of course it is."

 

A thought struck Ge Yan. "But if it can just boost your strength, why would Captain Locke consider it a lifesaving fruit? Isn't there more to it?"

 

"That's because he's a ninth-rank swordsman," Daniel interjected, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement. It was clear he, too, was drawn to the fruit's allure. "Dragon's Spit Fruit is one of the few fruits effective for both high-ranking swordsmen and swordmasters, especially for those at a bottleneck. For them, it guarantees an eighty percent success rate at breaking through."

 

With an eighty percent success rate, anyone but the unluckiest would succeed. Possessing the Dragon's Spit Fruit was like holding a key to unimaginable power—a prospect Locke would find irresistible.

 

Ninth-rank swordsmen were indeed powerful, but they weren't as rare as sword masters, whose ranks were exceedingly few. Even noble families like the Strych clan could recruit only a handful of sword masters, which is why those who accepted such positions enjoyed the highest honors and rewards. For Locke, the Dragon's Spit Fruit was his last chance to avoid a ruinous penalty.

 

Now Ge Yan understood—Rex planned to use the Dragon's Spit Fruit as bait to lure Captain Locke in. "But if the Dragon's Spit Fruit is so rare, how could it just happen to appear right when he needs it?"

 

"If he thought of it, then he must have heard news of it from somewhere. It's impossible to keep the appearance of the Dragon's Spit Fruit a secret for long. I'll send some men to investigate," Daniel replied.

 

"And you think it's that easy to find?" Ge Yan found it hard to believe.

 

"The Dragon's Spit Fruit doesn't grow just anywhere," Daniel said with a knowing smile. He seemed more patient with Ge Yan now, thanks to him providing them with this valuable information.

 

The name alone hinted it was somewhat connected to dragons, and while it wasn't actual dragon saliva, it was close. The Dragon's Spit Fruit could only grow where dragons resided, which narrowed its location to the Magic Beast Forest.

 

The Magic Beast Forest wasn't just any forest; compared to Tasha Forest, which was merely a small offshoot, the Magic Beast Forest was exponentially more dangerous. Rumors said the forest was filled with high-level beasts, even Sacred Beasts, making it lethal territory for anyone without the power of a high-ranking swordsman. Just skirting the edges could lead to being torn apart.

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