Chapter 103: The Smuggler

Secret Smugglers—one kind of smuggler—are those who frequent forbidden places or hidden realms. Wherever entry is forbidden or dangerous, their presence can be found. Their greatest skill lies in discovering passages in and out of these forbidden areas; as long as a path exists, no matter where, they can come and go freely.

Ordinarily, such smugglers are not easily detected. But since Liu Zong had received this particular mission, even if no one else was available, the system would assign someone to play the role of the secret smuggler.

After Liu Zong and his group arrived at the coordinates they had calculated, they found a merchant lying on the ground, covered in blood. For most, this would appear to be the start of a random side quest, but Liu Zong and his companions instantly understood: this was the beginning of the secret smuggler’s passage mission. Perhaps the rewards they would receive later might not be as generous as those other players received, but this was the key to their “Amber Light” quest.

Liu Zong gave a quick wave of his hand. Xu Ying and Yuan Ying swiftly moved to either side, drawing their weapons in case of a sneak attack. Lü Shang and Raina stepped forward to support the injured merchant. Raina began tending to his wounds, while Lü Shang observed his condition, gauging information from the minutiae.

Soon, Lü Shang stepped back to Liu Zong’s side and whispered, “He was attacked by a beast—likely a large one. No weapon wounds, no abrasions.”

By now, Raina had finished treating the merchant’s wounds. Drawing from her book, she summoned a mist-like fiend, bidding it to settle over the merchant’s body. The wounds began to close before their eyes; in moments, color returned to the merchant’s face and his breathing steadied—his life was no longer in peril.

With everything in order, Raina withdrew the fiend and stepped back to Liu Zong’s side. “He’ll wake in about five minutes.”

Liu Zong glanced at the time, then called to Yuan Ying, who was not far away, “Yuan Ying, it’s almost noon. Let’s prepare lunch and take a break.”

Yuan Ying nodded and went off with Xu Ying to search for ingredients, while Liu Zong and the others cleared the ground, readying a fire.

As they busied themselves, the smuggler awoke. He first looked around, then quickly checked his pack. Satisfied that everything was intact, he got up and walked over to Liu Zong’s group.

“Was it you who saved me?”

Liu Zong was busy at the time. He barely glanced up as Lü Shang replied casually, “We found you by the roadside, treated your wounds, nothing more.”

“So you just found me, then?” The merchant smiled, “I thought you’d managed to defeat that monster.”

At these words, both Liu Zong and Xu Ying looked up. Lü Shang pressed, “You’re a merchant—even if you can’t fight, you’re at least Level 1. For you to have been beaten so badly, how strong was that creature?”

The merchant replied helplessly, “I’m a secret smuggler, not a battlefield merchant. My skills are in pathfinding, logistics, and deciphering traps—not fighting. Besides, that monster appeared out of nowhere; I didn’t trigger any mechanisms.”

Liu Zong and Lü Shang exchanged knowing glances, realizing the system had orchestrated this encounter, delivering the secret smuggler directly to them.

As they communicated silently, the merchant asked, “By the way, where am I? I feel like I’ve been transported somewhere dangerous.”

Liu Zong sighed, “Uncle, you may have been sent to a battlefield.”

“A battlefield?” The merchant patted his head and said, exasperated, “You can’t be serious. I’m not a battlefield merchant—what use am I here? Can you at least tell me which battlefield this is, and how I can leave?”

“A temporary battlefield. This map is a ten-year, limited-time instance. The main combatants are Sun City Third High and Sun City Second High. We’re with Third High.” Liu Zong explained, resigned.

Hearing this, the merchant seemed to realize something. He studied Liu Zong’s group, then surveyed the surroundings.

“Have you taken on an extraordinary quest—one whose difficulty exceeds the map’s limits, or perhaps even its rules?”

Faced with the merchant’s solemn expression, Liu Zong and his companions found themselves at a loss for words.

The merchant nodded, “So that’s the case. Tell me about your battlefield—is it a head-to-head conflict, or is it about gathering intel?”

Liu Zong looked at the merchant, “Uncle, have you been in a battlefield before?”

The merchant chuckled, “Three times during my student days. That’s actually why I changed careers—from aspiring battlefield merchant to the secret smuggler I am now.”

Liu Zong offered no further comment, instead explaining the battlefield’s circumstances and the quest at hand.

After hearing Liu Zong’s explanation, the merchant didn’t answer immediately. He asked to see all their maps, laying them out one by one.

At last, he looked up. “I’m no archaeologist or treasure hunter, so I can only glean a few clues from these maps. Your intuition is likely correct: there is a path here leading to a forbidden zone that spans the entire map, which should be the ancestral home of the Kurast Dwarves. Based on the map’s layout, the Kurast King may be there.”

At these words, Liu Zong and his team felt a chill run down their spines. They had previously discussed the Kurast dwarves’ power hierarchy: ordinary Kurast dwarf—Level 0; Kurast Warrior—Level 1; Kurast Mage—Level 2; Kurast King—Level 3. This map was designed for students, with an NPC level cap of 2. How could a Level 3 Kurast King exist here?

Seeing their disbelief, the merchant explained, “The level cap is indeed 2, but that only applies after the map was requisitioned. The Kurast dwarves survived a war between two races and sealed away the most critical powers of both. How could their boss be only Level 2?”

“But the map’s level cap—” Liu Zong protested.

“It’s simple. In these ten years, the Kurast King has likely been injured or otherwise incapacitated. As long as you don’t provoke him, he won’t attack. The problem is, every mission you’ve received points directly at him.” The merchant looked at Liu Zong and his companions, a strange smile playing on his lips.