Cataclysm King

Chapter 167 I am not a caged bird
"What is this woman doing here?"

Ji Xun muttered in his heart, but immediately averted his eyes.

When he noticed that the eldest lady of the Lionheart family was entering the tavern, he looked at the people who came in from the corner of his eye.

Confirmed, this is not a group of hunters disguised as Lionheart family guards.

The other few people, except for the two leaders who had the emblem of the Flamingo Regiment, the others all looked like temporary recruits.

Now they come to the tavern because of Old Man Xu and Mr. Che and his grandson.

This is the normal procedure for a hunter group to go on an expedition to recruit temporary teammates. They will pick up people along the way.

"This eldest lady wants to play hunter game?"

If it was their first meeting, Ji Xun would definitely guess this.

But it was only after several encounters that he realized that the woman was smart and conceited.

I would never do such a pointless and naive act.

"It's strange that if it was for some needed treasure in the ancient seal, she wouldn't go there herself."

Ji Xun was very confused.

Even if you really want to go there in person, you will definitely be able to bring a large number of escorts with you.

Now, what does it mean to disguise yourself as a doctor and infiltrate a group of people?
Afraid you won't die fast enough?

Obviously not.

For a time, many thoughts flashed through Ji Xun's mind.

At this time, the leader, the middle-aged man with a goatee, saw Old Man Xu and his grandson, and asked, "You are going to form a team to open up wasteland together? How many of you are there? What are your professions?"

Hearing this question, Che Er glanced at Ji Xun beside him and cast a questioning look.

As old man Xu said, Ji Xun himself has the aura of a "disaster gambler".

Originally, I did not intend to involve the grandfather and grandson.

But seeing Catalina appear in the team, Ji Xun suddenly became very interested and nodded.

Che Er looked happy and responded: "Three!"

Old man Xu on the side rolled his eyes as he listened.

Ji Xun smiled and said nothing, and raised his hand to ask the bartender to bring a dozen good drinks to take away.

The wretched old man immediately smiled, but he also muttered in a low voice: "Although I think your boy is very appetizing. But, this time may be different."

Ji Xun smiled and didn't care.

This old man is a real master.

Regarding his method of sealing the soul of the Weeping Angel, Xie Guozhong once said that no one he had ever seen could do it so calmly.

In fact, Ji Xun really doesn't think he can definitely implicate this old man.

And that seal involves some ancient secrets.

There is nothing more suitable than being with Mr. Xu.

Since he didn't mind, Ji Xun was naturally willing to go along.

Ji Xun and the others followed the wild team to visit two more taverns, and picked up some temporary teammates one after another.

The group of people walked towards the west gate of Lion City.

Catalina didn't seem to recognize the disguised Ji Xun.

Ji Xun didn't want to say hello and pretend to be an acquaintance.

But no one else noticed that the young lady from the Lionheart family was muttering something while walking.

It seemed that he was talking to someone, but no one else heard a sound.

"Okay, I've found the person I'm looking for. You don't need to follow me anymore."

"But miss"

"No need to say more. Go back and tell my father that I am going to complete the 'Hero Trial'. And tell the clan elders that if I survive this time, they can cancel the engagement for me."

"However, my wife asked me to protect you."

"A message for my mother. I am the lion of the Anka family, not so delicate. If I don't even have the courage to participate in the hero trial, how can I inherit the lion's heart and will?"

"This is it, miss."

"."

After Catalina finished explaining, she followed the team silently.

A glance from the corner of his eye fell on the wretched old man with gray hair, and a strange color flashed across his crystal eyes.

At this time, she instinctively put her hand into her pocket and touched the gold coin of destiny that she had brought with her since childhood.

Originally I just rubbed it out of habit, but my fingers trembled slightly.

Catalina blinked, a puzzled look in her eyes.

The bottomless pit formed by the broken seal in the center of the ruins appeared not long ago, and now there are black fog areas shrouded in the aura of the dead everywhere outside the city.

But it is precisely because it is land reclamation that the harvest is the greatest.

All kinds of news brought back by hunters who have tasted the sweetness have detonated the hunting circle in the city.

Just kill a few undead monsters outside the city, and the [Dark Matter Crystal] you get can earn tens of thousands in income.

This is much more profitable than the usual wilderness hunting adventures.

Hunters also gathered in groups and rushed out of the city.

The Flamingo Hunters Group is a semi-official group funded and supported by the Lionheart Family. Its strength and equipment are not weak.

But the team that Ji Xun and the other two were on was a temporary wild team.

20 people in total.

The story of this change is of great importance, and the news has been spread back to Innocence City. It is said that all forces are involved immediately.

If the Lionheart family wants to seize the opportunity, they need some first-hand information, so they don't hesitate to spend money.

Even wild teams like Ji Xun and the others received a batch of valuable ammunition and supplies.

"Our mission this time is to explore several streets in the West Third District. Please be careful."

"Okay. Captain Chen, I heard that there is a big pit in the center of the ruins. Are we going there?"

"Yes. If we can reach the edge of the pothole, the group leader will give each of us an additional bonus of 30 yuan."

"So much? Hahaha, I'm going to make a fortune this time."

"."

The hunters don't know about the Silver Moon Sect, nor do they know the reason for the seal.

A wild team of more than 20 people plunged into the black mist.

Visibility is very low on the quiet street.

A group of heavily armed hunters cautiously moved deeper into the street.

There is not only their team in the ruins, there are probably hundreds of teams currently clearing wasteland in the city at the same time.

Fierce gunshots were heard from time to time.

Ji Xun had just returned from outside the city, but he wasn't worried at all.

He followed Old Man Xu and Mr. Che, chatting along the way.

From time to time, he glanced at Catalina, who was disguised as a doctor in the center.

The eldest lady didn't know what she was thinking or what she was going to do. She didn't speak all the way and seemed very lonely.

The broken seal brought out too many undead monsters from the underground. Not long after leaving the city, traces of monsters appeared in the dark places of the dilapidated streets.

"crack, clap, clap"

After a shot was fired, and under the suppression of powerful firepower, this small wave of monsters was killed.

Several hunters happily peeled off the [Dark Matter Crystal] from the monster's corpse.

It was also the first time that Ji Xun saw the things that businessmen in the city were vying to acquire.

It was a black crystal that looked like a magic core.

Ji Xun has not seen any description of this kind of thing in any classics.

I asked old man Xu next to me and found out that this guy also had habitual amnesia.

The few hunters who were the first to get the first batch of crystals shared the batch of crystal nuclei, and everyone was very excited.

Having tasted the sweetness, this improvised team excitedly explored the depths of the ruins.

Ji Xun was not in a hurry to compete with these people for any crystals, and his injuries had not fully recovered.

I paddled along the way and repaired my body.

In this way, the team explored all the way, hunting some scattered monsters along the way.

The view in the ruins is very poor, and monsters must be cleared away to avoid some of the original extra-dimensional spaces.

They walked a lot of streets, but the straight-line distance from the central pothole in the ruins was less than ten kilometers.

The advancement was smooth, but there was no danger.

Except for one unlucky guy who was too anxious to get the crystal core, and his throat was bitten by a zombie that was not dead, there were basically no casualties.

At midnight, a group of people lit a bonfire in a small sturdy building and prepared to rest for the night.

The blazing bonfire burned, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the nineteen faces in the team.

"Hahaha, the smallest [dark matter crystal] is worth three thousand. Have I earned seventy or eighty thousand?"

"I have earned more than 5 yuan. My dear, this is the first time I feel that money is so easy to earn."

"Yes. The streets we are walking on have been walked by others. If we find some areas where monsters are densely populated, wouldn't we make a fortune?"

"Hahaha, I hope I can meet more monsters tomorrow."

"Don't be careless. This ruins is already very dangerous. Now the center of the city suddenly collapsed, and no one knows what's going on. Those who keep watch at night should be more careful."

"Well done, Captain Chen!"

"."

The harvest that exceeded expectations made the hunters dilute the risks of the ruins. Everyone was laughing and joking, not paying much attention to it at all.

Brushing monsters is much safer than exploring another dimension.

After all, there was a way out, and even if he really couldn't defeat him, he thought he could still escape back to the Lion City.

"Hey, hey, you look familiar. Could it be the legendary Dog King?"

"Hahaha. False name. False name."

"."

After all, Old Man Xu is a celebrity in the hunting circle.

He will never take action if he can, and he will be lazy if he can, and he looks vulgar.

After spending a day together, this guy was recognized again.

Almost the same process.

Almost no one knows him, but everyone has heard of the legend of the "Dog King".

As soon as this guy's identity was revealed, he immediately became the object of ridicule among his teammates.

No one thinks he is really capable, but he can be used as a source of conversation for a long time.

The old man started talking dirty again after drinking.

The longer you live, the more you know about all kinds of gossip.

He didn't mind being teased at all, and he made random remarks.

Che Er, on the other hand, was used to it and stayed silent.

Ji Xun listened with great interest.

After he knew that this old man was a real expert, and then listened to those bragging words, his sense of empathy was completely different.

What about "Old man, I also experienced S-level plots back then", "I once saw a monster bigger than Innocence City", "I have also encountered S-level disasters several times".
These stories that seemed outrageous to others were different to Ji Xun's ears now.

He always felt that the old man might be telling real people.

It's just that the age of the story may be so long ago that most people can't remember it.

Not only was Ji Xun listening with great interest, but in the corner on the other side of the bonfire, Miss Catalina, who was disguised as a doctor, also had sparkling crystal eyes.

The potato stew on the campfire was sizzling, and the rich aroma of minced meat filled your nose.

Ji Xun also got a bowl of broth.

Dip it in the chewy brown bread and put it into your mouth. The mouthful of wheat flavor and gravy water gives you a sense of satisfaction.

He leaned against the pillar of the house, and while eating, he took the black glass-like crystal in his hand and looked at it.

This is the trophy he got from hunting monsters before.

It was inspired by the name [Dark Matter Crystal].

"How did this thing come to be?"

Ji Xun looked at him with doubts in his eyes.He was more concerned about how this thing was formed than how much it was worth.

Undead creatures usually do not form such energy crystals.

At least there are no low-level undead monsters.

But this time, there were monsters spewing out from the bottomless pit.

This feeling is like sand turning into iron sand, suddenly worth a lot of money.

So there must be a reason
Ji Xun thought through all the classics he had read, but there was nothing that matched it.

But obviously, this is a kind of energy crystallization.

After pondering for a moment, Ji Xun immediately used the feast skill.

People from major chambers of commerce have popularized this stuff before: it contains unknown contamination, and it is currently not recommended to absorb it as an energy body.

But it didn't matter to Ji Xun.

He is all-around friendly.

Wanting to find out what it was, he decided to give it a try.

Absorbing the crystal core is much easier than absorbing the extraordinary properties of a corpse. The energy from this dark matter crystal is absorbed into the body almost instantly.

Ji Xun stared at the properties panel carefully.

This crystal core is not an extraordinary property, but an elemental crystal.

There is no change in various attributes, but the upper limit of mana power has been increased by 0.07.

However, in Enlightenment, there are two hints that have never appeared before.

"Unknown Dark Element Affinity +2"

"You used the feast, your mental power +0.02"

"What's the situation?"

This was the first time Ji Xun used the feast to increase his mental power!
And what surprised him even more was that the "unknown dark element" was not a dark affinity, but a separate reminder?
"hiss"

Ji Xun pondered these two hints and felt vaguely as if he had touched some high-level secret.

It shows "unknown", which means that the energy absorbed in this crystal core temporarily exceeds one's own knowledge.

Thinking of something, Ji Xun took out a second one.

This time, I did not use the feast skill, but the ordinary method of breathing.

Then after absorbing it, nothing will be prompted.

There is no increase in mental power, and no dark affinity, so it is purely regarded as an energy body.

Ji Xun showed a thoughtful expression and pondered: "The spiritual power of this crystal core is as material and absorbable as its extraordinary properties. Could this be the reason for its formation? Because of the remnant body of the Weeping Angel?"

Thinking about it, I gradually became fascinated.

The bread in my mouth doesn't taste too good anymore.

At this time, a person came over.

The little doctor in Catalina's disguise didn't show up either, so she sat next to him with broth and bread.

Ji Xun knew that he might have been recognized. While he was surprised, he also pretended not to know and asked in confusion: "You?"

Catalina glanced at him and half-smiled: "You looked at me so many times all day and didn't recognize me?"

With that, she directly revealed Ji Xun's identity: "Isn't it His Excellency Baron Charlie who is interested in me looking like an ugly duckling?"

When Ji Xun heard this, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, and he stopped pretending to be stupid and asked instead, "How did Miss Carter recognize me?"

His current identity is very sensitive and he doesn't dare to be careless.

When he wasn't wearing a gas mask, he used a clown mask to change his appearance.

It is obviously impossible to be recognized just by looking at it a few times.

"sound."

Catalina didn't hide anything, and said calmly: "Even if you use some transformers, some wave frequencies of the voice cannot be changed. I am the [7 of Plum Blossoms-Singer] sequence, you should know."

When Ji Xun heard this, he suddenly realized.

Just like his werewolf sense of smell, even if it was a very turbid smell that ordinary people couldn't distinguish, he could.

But the sound is more difficult.

Ji Xun deliberately lowered his voice in order to "identify people by listening to their sounds", which required a very high level of extraordinary understanding.

Considering that Catalina is the eldest lady of the Lionheart family and has no shortage of resources, maybe it can be done?
But it didn't seem to matter if he was recognized.

This woman should only know his identity as "Baron Charlie".

As soon as Ji Xun had this idea, he suddenly thought of it.

Didn't he also have a conversation with her that time at the Honglou Casino?
"Hey, will it be remembered by then?"

Ji Xun's expression was the same.

But there was something strange in my heart.

After all, I have seen other girls naked.

If they were recognized as the same person, they would look unfriendly.

Ji Xun thought for a moment.

Probably not.

If he had recognized it, he would have recognized it long ago.

Trying to remember the frequency and timbre of a voice is completely different from remembering a face.

I hear so many sounds every day that I can’t remember them all.

Moreover, human memory is limited, and things captured by the senses will be forgotten over time.

Catalina seemed to notice something, and an imperceptible strange color flashed across her crystal eyes.

But she didn't say anything. She dipped a piece of bread into the broth and ate it with relish.

Ji Xun slightly felt that the atmosphere was a bit weird, so he changed the topic and said, "I thought you weren't used to this kind of food."

Catalina asked back: "Do you think I should be the kind of delicate princess who can't sleep even if a bean is placed on the bed?"

"Ha ha."

Ji Xun chuckled lightly, then asked about the business, pretending to be frivolous: "Miss Carter, why are you interested in playing some hunting game?"

Before, this arrogant young lady would have refuted this feeling of being looked down upon.

But at this moment, Catalina looked very calm and asked: "So, Baron Charlie, why are you here too?"

Ji Xun always felt that this woman seemed to have changed a lot every time he saw her, so he responded: "Mission."

Catalina heard the perfunctory and asked: "What else?"

Ji Xun was not used to this eldest lady, and asked with a smile: "According to etiquette, before asking a question, should Miss Carter answer my question first?"

Catalina glanced at him as she listened, pondered for a moment, and said, "I'm here for a trial."

Ji Xun listened and shrugged: "Oh?"

He thought of the dead Young Master Kahn, and asked: "Coming of Age Ceremony Trial?"

Not right either.

It seems that the female descendants of the Lionheart family do not have to pass this test.

Katarina shook her head and responded calmly: "Hero Trial."

"???"

Ji Xun looked confused at the unfamiliar vocabulary.

It seems like some secrets of the Lionheart family?
But Catalina had no intention of explaining, and added: "I have answered two of your questions. So, Mr. Charlie, should you be more gentleman?"

Ji Xun spread his hands: "I'm just here to complete the mission. And... I'm just interested in the ruins."

Catalina was obviously surprised when she heard this.

Not like a lie.

She frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and asked directly: "Do you know that senior?"

senior?

When Ji Xun heard this, he was also surprised.

Being able to call him this means that this woman knows how special Old Man Xu is?
At this moment, he immediately understood why this woman was in this team!

Ji Xun looked at the eyes that couldn't hide his thirst for knowledge and asked, "Do you also know Mr. Xu?"

Catalina shook her head.

Hearing the title "Old Man Xu", she immediately suspected that the guy in front of her didn't seem to know the specialness of that senior.

Yes.

How can ordinary people know this kind of top secret?

Ji Xun looked at the woman who seemed to have suddenly lost interest, and knew that he had to find something to say, and then said: "Old man Xu and I are friends. So you are here for him?"

Catalina obviously didn't believe it, and said casually: "Oh, you are very lucky. You can be friends with that senior."

"???"

Ji Xun became even more curious after hearing this.

At this moment, he had confirmed what the eldest lady of the Lionheart family knew, and asked: "Is Miss Carter joining this temporary recruitment team just for Old Man Xu?"

Catalina did not deny it, but asked solemnly: "Are you really friends?"

Ji Xun nodded: "Yes."

He thought that he and Old Man Xu, his grandfather and his grandson, at least shared the same hardships. They were not strangers, but friends, which was almost the same.

Hearing this, Catalina's expression became strange.

But thinking about it too.

If you don’t know each other well, you probably won’t be in the same team.

Ji Xun was now very interested in the information Carter had and asked: "So, why do you say that knowing Old Man Xu and me means we have a good fortune?"

Catalina thought about it for a moment and then said, "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Ji Xun chuckled, not caring: "Of course."

The strange color in Catalina's eyes disappeared, and she said again: "If I tell you, I will be in big trouble if you listen to it. Do you still want to inquire?"

How could Ji Xun be someone who is afraid of trouble?
He said directly: "Yeah."

"can!"

Catalina also heard that Ji Xun wanted to inquire about the news. She also had the same intention, and said: "But before I say anything, I want to confirm. What is your relationship?"

Ji Xun's eyes narrowed slightly: "It can be regarded as a life-long friendship."

Catalina frowned as she listened, as if she was deep in thought, but she did not continue to ask any more questions.

After pondering for a moment, she stopped beating around the bush and said directly: "Two hundred years ago, when my grandfather was still here, this old man looked like this. So the family has inherited some secrets. The karma on this person is very special. It can be said that those who are big and have no luck will die if they touch it."

When Ji Xun heard this, his eyes jumped inexplicably.

Before, I felt that this old man was still a reclusive master shrouded in mystery.

When I listen to it now, I feel a strange feeling coming straight to my forehead.

Like an old zombie crawling out of the grave?
As she spoke, Catalina looked at Ji Xun and said solemnly: "No one in our Lionheart family knew about this matter. But except for my grandfather, everyone else is dead. So, you regret it now Did you hear this story?”

"."

Ji Xun was really surprised.

It’s not that I regret anything.

But when I heard the saying that this was "karma", I thought of a phenomenon: Old Man Xu can survive every time, and the price won't be sacrificing his teammates, right?
Ji Xun himself is a "bad luck gambler" and can understand the situation where bad luck favors him.

Every time something bad happens, it seems like I will be involved.

But does this person have a more terrifying negative BUFF?

Also, what's going on?
This old man was like this 200 years ago?
How long did he live?

After hearing this outrageous story, Ji Xunfei didn't feel the slightest bit worried.

On the contrary, I felt that after knowing Old Man Xu, my life became more legendary.

Ji Xunke didn't care about the cause and effect, and asked: "So, what about you?"

If you don’t have great luck, you will die if you touch her. So this lion-hearted lady is looking for death?

"I?"

Catalina listened to her eyelashes twitching slightly, her eyes gradually deepened, and she uttered a few words very calmly: "I am not a bird in a cage."

When Ji Xun heard this, his expression was slightly startled.

Then, he grinned.

He suddenly felt that this woman was a little interesting.

(End of this chapter)