Chapter Ninety-Two: The Details Are What Matter

After entering the battlefield map, everyone quickly slipped into game mode, and the gear and other traits that could not be seen in the real world were all brought into view.

Among Liu Zong's group, the most ostentatious equipment belonged to Lu Shang. Although he was only Level 0, five stars, he was clad from head to toe in Level 1 purple downgraded universal weapons and armor. He did not care in the least whether the pieces matched or whether they were a proper set.

In contrast stood Reina. Her equipment was not high-level, but it was clearly part of a set with the book she held in her arms. It looked unremarkable at a glance, yet it suited her extremely well, as if it had grown naturally upon her body.

Yuan Ying was the most balanced of the group. She wore a robe of pale blue, with two light blue water orbs hovering beside her. In her hand she held a bamboo-paper parasol, and it was easy to tell that she followed a rather unusual profession.

Xu Ying had changed the least. Whatever he wore outside, he wore the same in the game. He had no equipment on his own person; instead, a gray-white lion appeared beside him. One could tell at once that the lion's original fur must once have been golden.

Compared with an ordinary lion, this one was reduced to skin and bone. If not for the outer layer of fur, anyone would have believed it to be a skeletal lion.

All the equipment that should have been on Xu Ying had instead been fitted onto this lion. Even its limbs, claws, and fangs had been armed with various weapons. As it moved, metallic glints flashed from it, drawing everyone's attention.

After the five of them emerged from the portal, Liu Zong surveyed the surroundings. The ancient palace of the Adara insectfolk had been completely transformed. The entire palace was now packed with crude defensive structures of wood and stone.

Countless mechanized beings in the Adara insectfolk style moved back and forth through the palace corridors, while other Adara insectfolk were scattered throughout the palace, issuing small tasks or selling local specialties.

However, Liu Zong and the others did not linger. Led by Liu Zong, they found an Adara insectfolk member located at the southern edge of the palace.

This Adara insectfolk also had the head of a locust, though he looked quite old, as if he had long since passed the prime of his species. He was holding a large bundle of dried grass. When he saw Liu Zong and the others approaching, he simply threw the grass to the ground and screeched at the sky.

In an instant, five giant locusts with crimson eyes flew down from above and landed before Liu Zong and the others. Only then did the Adara insectfolk pick up the dried grass again and continue on in the direction he had originally been headed. It was clear he had no intention of paying any attention to them at all.

Liu Zong and the others were used to this already. Half a year earlier, after the students of Yangcheng Third Middle School had captured all the fixed locations and completed certain tasks for the Adara insectfolk, this free-access flight point had been opened. Everything here was supplied by Yangcheng Third Middle School, so any student could use it freely, once per day, without spending money.

Because it was free, the Adara insectfolk generally did not bother themselves with it. They simply went about their own business, and when someone came seeking a flying mount, they would call out once and then return to their work.

After mounting the giant locust, Liu Zong said directly, "Take us to the hotel."

No one objected to his arrangement. At this point, only Liu Zong knew where they were supposed to go next, and the others lacked the grounds to offer any opinion.

The giant locust was not a specialized flying mount. Its "flight" was really nothing more than gliding at a height of a little over a hundred meters. After gliding for roughly one or two thousand meters, it would descend and leap upward again, making the whole process quite uncomfortable. Those with poor constitutions would even feel nauseous.

Still, the giant locust was fairly fast. If they had gone on foot from the palace to the hotel, it would have taken at least two or three days, but the locust brought Liu Zong and the others there in just four hours.

After dismounting, Liu Zong did not lead the others into the hotel. It was the kind of place where only one person could enter at a time; he had no intention of taking five people there to queue.

Instead, he said to Lu Shang, "You're better at gathering information. Help me ask around about these things inside the hotel. Also, we need to restock about a month's worth of supplies. This is a list of special requirements. Food and the like can be flexible, but the items on this list must be bought exactly as specified."

Lu Shang took the list Liu Zong handed him, glanced over it, and said with confidence, "Don't worry. This little thing won't be a problem."

With that, Lu Shang headed straight for the hotel. He did not line up with the ordinary players. Instead, he went around to the back of the hotel, spoke to an Adara insectfolk member, and slipped in through a small side door.

While waiting for Lu Shang, Liu Zong began explaining to everyone the plan for their next move. He could tell that the others had come to trust him to a certain degree, but he could not take that trust for granted. He had to maintain it in his own way.

He explained how he had obtained the amber, and also recounted the fragments he had heard while resting at the hotel from the bartender, the storyteller, and the great tomb master.

Everyone listened to Liu Zong's explanation with great attention, especially Reina. She seemed to be constantly memorizing something.

Only after Liu Zong had finished relating everything did the others begin to consider what role they themselves might play next. Then Reina suddenly said, "I've sorted through all the stories you just heard, and I found that the Adara insectfolk are not native to this continent."

"Right, everyone knows that. Their enemies say the same thing." Liu Zong did not know why Reina was bringing this up, but he still looked at her with firm encouragement, signaling for her to continue.

"In all the legends, the war between the Adara insectfolk and the Karia demons is actually not the most common story. Many of the tales are about the Adara insectfolk living and surviving on this land."

Liu Zong thought it over, but still did not fully understand what Reina meant.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Reina simply put it plainly. "As for the final battle between the Adara insectfolk and the Karia demons, both sides only received fragments of the story. The ones who should know the whole truth are the beings that divided those two powers apart. They were probably the true masters of this land, and it was also likely they sealed away the greatest advantage of both factions, which is why this land became what it is now."