“Yo Steve, why do ya look like ya’ve seen a ghost?”

  “Hah…ha... you can say that again.”

  “Yeah?” Looking at the young man gasping like he did a marathon, Jack smacked his lips. “Sheesh. What did you run into?”

  A curious baby also stared at the soon-to-be storyteller with bright eyes.

  After catching his breath, Yu Zhiye told them exactly what he saw.

  But Jack was skeptical.

  “Sheesh, aren’t you overreacting, Steve? Those villagers have been nothing but friendly. We even saw somebody punch a villager but they didn’t even get angry or fight back, right little missy?”

  Miss Highschooler blinked innocently. “Eih! This miss thinks they’re all just afraid of my favorite golden apple!”

  “Yeah?” That rung a bell in Jack’s memory. “Sheesh… ain’t no way they’re all zombie villagers, right?”

  Yu Zhiye looked back at the cottages that look like they could be haunted. “That’ll certainly match the theme, don’t you think?”

  “...well, I’ll be damned.”

  Some things once seen can’t be unseen. Now, Jack can’t agree more.

  “Aight, we’re already out, so we should be fine. As for the others, they have my blessing.”

  Anyways, it got nothing to do with their own party.

  Besides, certain types of people weren’t worth worrying about. Whatever happens to them, they deserve it.

  “Aight, let’s not talk about them. So, how did it go for you, Steve? Find anything interesting?”

  There was indeed a lot to tell.

  Aside from his sudden windfall of emeralds and what he splurged it on, Yu Zhiye didn’t hide anything.

  “Anime powers, ey?” Jack was quite surprised.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Thought the ghoul potion sold by the cleric for ten emeralds was expensive! Now, it looks like we gotta get digging and hope there’s emerald to be found down there.”

  Yu Zhiye looked at the two. “Got something for digging?”

  “Yeah.” Jack showed off the new stone pickaxe he bought.

  “Went to the toolsmith and grabbed this baby for an emerald. Was gonna use it to knock a hole in the pyramid to make grinding easier, then dig down and hope it’s not all sand down there.”

  The man’s got a good plan, but Yu Zhiye wasn’t too surprised. He got his own pickaxe for a similar purpose.

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  “What about Miss Ling’er? Got your own pick, too?”

  Xiao Shuling proudly puffed her chest. “Eih! This miss also bought more arrows to go pew pew with! Ehehe~”

  Three pickaxes in their party. They’re all ready to become miners!

  “By the way, Steve, you ain’t gonna get your own pickaxe as well?”

  Yu Zhiye didn’t mean to tell them he did and simply shrugged. “I’ll be busy fishing. Where will I have the time to go digging?”

  “Yeah? If you say so. Haha…”

  Jack looked like he wanted to ask for something, but wasn’t shameless enough to bring it up.

  Miss Highschooler read the mood and volunteered herself to act like a cute baby.

  “Eih! Big brother Big brother since you’re not using your emeralds, can you lend it to us, pwetty pwease~”

  Considering the realized purchasing power the emeralds now hold, it was a rather presumptuous request.

  But Yu Zhiye guessed as much and didn’t mind playing along since this was actually in line with his plans.

  Two emeralds appeared in hand. “Premium price, 2 emeralds for a diamond?”

  Jack was quite surprised how smooth things went and his sheepish mood brightened up.

  “Sounds good! I’ll take you up on that offer, Steve!”

  The trade went through. Everybody was happy!

  Yu Zhiye: +1 diamond! A criteria for upgrading the observatory met!

  Jack: +2 purchasing power!

  “Aight, I ma go grab a water bucket for me and the little missy real quick. Better safe than sorry.”

  “Cool. Be careful. There shouldn’t be any danger in the day, but…”

  “Sheesh, got it, got it! Steve, you’re too young to be nagging an old man like me! Bwahaha! Aight, little missy, wait for me out here…”

  “Uncle here~ little Ling’er’s favorite golden apple! Uncle can give it back when you’re out!”

  Jack didn’t refuse the kindness and soon disappeared back into the village.

  Seeing that there was nothing else happening here, Yu Zhiye bid farewell to the bubbly little goblin. “I’m going fishing. Take care of yourself. Don’t get kidnapped by shady child predators.”

  Xiao Shuling pouted. “Fuu! This miss isn’t a child!”

  “Haha…” Yu Zhiye didn’t waste time here any longer and left to find his fishing spot.

  Strive for 25 points to upgrade his core!

  Not long after he left, another party that couldn’t afford much was making their way out from the village.

  “...if only we could find a way into those locked houses, then we can loot the chests in there.”

  “Che. Easy for you to say, four-eyes. Those doors don’t budge no matter how hard we all punch them.”

  “Better than doing nothing.”

  “Tch. If there’s a lockpick, I could’ve given it a try.”

  “Ohoho, if only it were that simple, Mr. Han. By the way, where’s Mr. Park?”

  “Heheh. I gave him a little tip and now he’s off trying it.”

  “Oh? What tip might that be—?”

  “Boss!” The sudden cry drew everybody’s attention to the lackey rushing over.

  Minho braked beside the four-eyes and proudly announced, “Boss! I did it!”

  Kwan Minhwoo adjusted his glasses with a smile.

  The rest were curious, but Kwan Minhwoo didn’t give them a chance to ask. “We’ll talk later. Let’s first head back...”

  But the group didn’t even take a few steps when Han Duri faceplanted against empty space like he bumped into an invisible wall.

  “What the fu…?”

  Everybody braked and stared at the man acting like a mime at the boundary of the village. “Mr. Han?”

  Han Duri’s face looked more ugly than ever. “There’s a wall here.”

  Obviously, nobody believed him.

  Baldie Tae crossed his arms. “Che. Nice try. Quit the act. Nobody’s falling for it.”

  “I’m not acting. There’s really a fuking wall here!” Han Duri didn’t look like he was kidding.

  “Bullshit.” Baldie Tae waved his fist around the man. “Look! There’s really nothing here!”

  But his confidence was quickly shattered by the cry of another person. “B-Boss! There really is a wall here!”

  All attention was drawn to the lackey who was patting the air like there was a wall separating him from his boss.

  Kwan Minhwoo frowned. “Minho, quit fooling around.”

  He then tried to drag his lackey out, but to his shock, he couldn’t pull the man’s hand beyond a certain boundary no matter how hard he tried!

  “This…”

  Everybody finally realized the seriousness of the problem. Those two can’t get out!