Alternate Dimension Game: Happiness is all that matters!
Chapter 127 - 118: Leader, there’s a child!

Chapter 127: Chapter 118: Leader, there’s a child!

"Leader, there’s a child up ahead? He’s waving at us... a child has come out from the Ganlu Temple!

"Maybe he’s one of the indigenous people!"

"What?!"

All the explorers looked ready for battle, their expressions tense.

Beams of flashlight swept toward them.

A suspicious-looking child suddenly emerging from a temple, coupled with the high probability that Taoyuan Village was a ghost village, was enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine when they thought about it.

Wang Hao also knew the exploration team was suspicious and raised his hands to show he meant no harm.

He shouted, "Hey, can you understand what I’m saying? I ended up in this village by accident, can you help me get out?"

"He says he came here by accident, and he wants us to take him out?"

Pan Hao translated to the leader, Gregory, and pointed at the wooden boat set aside, "He doesn’t seem to be from Taoyuan Village..."

Gregory frowned slightly, "It’s not impossible. Since we made it here, others could have stumbled upon this place too."

What to do next?

Take the child out?

Of course, that was unthinkable. They had managed to enter with great difficulty and didn’t know how long it would take before they had another chance to come back.

As for the child...

Gregory took a rose from his luggage and threw it ashore, "Tell the child to hold the flower in his hand."

Wang Hao caught the rose, examined it, and sniffed.

[You smell a faint fragrance, it feels very soothing.]

After about ten seconds, seeing that there was no sign of the rose wilting, the explorers finally let out a sigh of relief.

The flower was like a canary in a coal mine, indicating safety as long as it remained fresh.

"Were you hiding in this temple just now?"

Pan Hao stepped forward, acting as translator and guide, trying to extract some information.

"Yes," Wang Hao looked at him.

"Is there anyone else in the temple?"

"Just me."

This man was about thirty-five, 1.7 meters tall, with a scar near the corner of his eye and an antique dagger hanging from his belt.

It was this very dagger that had claimed his life in the first reincarnation.

But... things had been settled, only Pan Hao did not know.

"What’s your name?"

"I’m Zhao Tiantian."

"How did you get here?"

"I went out fishing in a boat during the day, and I don’t know how, but I suddenly ended up here... The village is creepy, it makes one afraid."

Wang Hao, spinning a tale, said, "Can you take me out of here? It’s getting dark, and I want to go home."

"You didn’t enter the village?"

"No, I didn’t dare to."

The explorers began discussing in a foreign language how to handle this child who had suddenly appeared.

It wasn’t that they were kindhearted, but the child’s story... seemed fishy.

Compared with the quest for the Fountain of Youth, they lacked compassion and were unlikely to spend time escorting an unknown child to the outskirts of Taoyuan Village.

Wang Hao even noticed that the leader called Gregory had sharper canines than a normal person, a lean figure, and a pale complexion.

He thought to himself, "So that’s it, this leader is a foreigner influenced by the Blood Demon, no wonder he found his way here."

"Vampire, or Werewolf?"

"Heh... another dog-eat-dog situation in this cursed place. Whether you’re a Vampire or an old man of the Blood Ginseng, you’re just at the bottom of the food chain. What a pity."

"How should I make use of this exploration team? What does it have to do with the main quest?"

Pan Hao entered the temple and searched for a while, but he didn’t find any danger.

Leader Gregory rubbed his nose and said, "Come in for now; we’re going to rest here for the night. Don’t stay outside too long. I’ve got a bad feeling."

"As for the child... let him come in first."

Soon, flames rose in the temple—a priest-like Caucasian added some unknown plants that resembled Lavender to the stove.

A light scent of herbal incense wafted from the stove.

It seemed the priest was very religious; before eating, he took out a thick book and prayed devoutly.

The Main Character, the child, ended up receiving a can of luncheon meat, Merlin brand, which was domestically produced and considered decent sustenance for the era.

Old Wang also liked this brand, often adding a bit to hot pot.

[Surrounded by the warmth of the stove, listening to the priest’s prayers, you feel a sense of relaxation and peace.]

[The food tastes exceptionally good to you, and the gloomy mood from returning to Taoyuan seems to have dissipated a little.]

Wang Hao was slightly surprised.

These two lines of prompts likely referred to the increase of his san (sanity) levels.

These people were actually prepared!

Of course, it might also be a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

Experienced explorers often carry items that boost "rationality," to stave off the verge of mental breakdowns.

Spiritual power derived from religion might not be unfounded in the game world.

"Zhao Tiantian, that cloak of yours, what kind of fur is it? I’ve never seen it before. How about selling it to me? I really like the pelts of wild animals, don’t worry, I’ll pay you a handsome amount of spending money."

Pan Hao squeezed out a smile, his nerves were actually frayed; the pressure of being in this damned place was like a needle prick, and discomfort lurked everywhere.

But that damn kid was surprisingly calm, there enjoying his meal.

Such an expression of enjoyment was hard to fake, and he didn’t believe a little brat could play any tricks—after all, the other party did seem to be a human being.

"Biaozi fur, my grandfather is a hunter, he often goes hunting in the mountains. Pretty, isn’t it? Unlike tiger fur, Biaozi are quite rare."

Wang Hao boasted, spewing utter nonsense: "I need this cloak to sleep in at night, so I can’t sell it to you."

"Oh, right, what are you guys doing here? This place gives me a really bad vibe."

Pan Hao stroked the fluffy cloak, his eyes slightly gleaming: "Biaozi fur... truly unique, quite rare."

"We are here, of course, for a reason. It’s not a child’s business to meddle; ask too much and adults will get angry."

Pan Hao glanced at the others who were warming themselves by the fire from the corner of his eyes.

The China expert "Gregory" could understand Chinese and was quietly observing their conversation.

So he spoke with caution, slightly worried that the precious fur might incite greed among the group.

Although he was greedy for money, he wasn’t a robber who would kill for treasure, some things just weren’t necessary.

Being a tomb robber, he naturally had the ability to discern valuable items.

Three tiger cubs are born, one will be a Biaozi. Biaozi are fierce and are even known to eat tiger cubs.

But since tigers are so rare, usually giving birth to only 1-2 cubs, naturally the number of Biaozi are even more scarce.

He even leaned in and sniffed the fur, pretending to say: "It does have a wild scent, but it’s still a tad short of a Strange Object; it would be better if it aged a few hundred years."

"A few hundred years? Can Biaozi live that long?" Wang Hao asked curiously.

"Some Strange Objects may not be impossible. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been properly tanned. Wearing it like this, the fine fur will soon harden."

"If you sell it to me, I’ll give you a good price. I, Old Pan, could plead for you and get you out of here, how about it?"

Wang Hao knew that raw hides needed to be tanned to become fine leather, but he didn’t really care about that.

And these people would definitely not be able to get him out; that last sentence was just to deceive a child.

He shook his head like a rattle drum: "No can do, without this cloak, I might encounter danger. Grandpa said I lack the Wood element, and only with this Biaozi fur can I live a long and healthy life."

"And tomorrow, if you don’t help me, I’ll row out by myself."

Pan Hao was momentarily stumped by his response. Tiger corresponds to the zodiac sign ’Yin’, which is associated with ’Wood’ in the Chinese elements, so naturally, Biaozi is a variation of the tiger. Also, he did feel some kind of wild power from the pelt.

"What’s your grandfather’s name?"

"Zhao Dalong." Wang Hao blurted out a fabricated name.

The guide pondered for a while. He was a local and did not recognize this "Zhao Dalong." If the person had been a prominent hunter, he should have known about it.

However, Pan Hao didn’t insist on taking the fur, although he didn’t quite understand why himself.

Perhaps deep down, it was compassion, feeling sorry that the poor child was most likely not going to survive.

Or it might be something else.

"What else is in your baggage?" Pan Hao bit into a piece of dry food, pointing to Wang Hao’s bundle.

"Some self-defense tools..."

"Can I take a look?"

Wang Hao internally cursed, as inside the pack was a piece of "Blood Ginseng," an exceptionally precious Strange Object!

He should have hidden it from the start.

If these people discovered it, maybe...

But since life could be restarted infinitely, he didn’t feel the pressure of gain or loss. He swallowed and flatly refused: "No, it’s mine, why should I show it to you?"

"This damn brat..." Pan Hao was taken aback for a moment, his mind hesitating. As a tomb robber, he joined the expedition solely for money.

A kid whose identity and intentions were unclear.

The team might use him as a shield to test out some dangers.

He had heard of Gregory’s reputation; perhaps he was an old freak who had lived many years.

In terms of personality, he was somewhat...

Cruel.

But the pay for this job was too good—to make a clean break after this one last job!

This parallel world was too bizarre, the pressure coming from all directions like needle pricks, made one desperate to leave at once.

Even a hint of suspicion warranted vigilance.

A child who appeared out of nowhere was unlikely to survive.

Pan Hao could only steel himself, suppressing what little conscience he had left, thinking silently, "Forget it, if I can take care, then I will. If not, then so be it... It’s your own fault for getting lost and ending up in this ghostly place."

"Your fate has nothing to do with me."

He reported his findings to the team leader.

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