Book 9: Chapter 67: Vote and Deal

“The war between the Lost and the other two Apostle Alliances should only involve the high ranks. I expect it to wrap up within one or two Quest Worlds, preventing the fighting from spreading to mid and low-ranked Apostles. Otherwise, all three alliances might fall apart.”

In the villa’s main hall, Qin Lun had fully briefed the other Serial Killers on the intelligence he gathered from Kelly. This kind of news couldn’t be hidden. Keeping it would shatter any future trust with the others.

“Lord Qin Lun,” Silva, the “Handsome Guy” sitting on the outer circle of the salon, couldn’t help but speak up. “If that’s the case, why would this Kelly inform you?”

As the Murderer Team matured, Qin Lun and the others consciously started including their Servant Apostles in discussions to foster team cohesion. Of course, they were only observers, allowed to voice ideas but without decision-making power. Their only real choice was whether to follow their leaders into a Quest World.

Even so, not all servants needed to attend. Only Frank represented Qin Lun’s side; Didi and Sif weren’t necessary. Lili and Silva, who had gone through several missions with the Serial Killers, were permitted to join. Integra, who had just started following Grant, wasn’t yet trusted and wasn’t brought this time.

Hearing Silva’s question, the Serial Killers exchanged smiles. Unlike Silva, they were brimming with confidence. They never considered themselves part of the Apostle middle or lower tiers. Even High-Rank Apostles were, in their eyes, merely slightly tougher prey.

“Hill had several encounters with the Lost Team. With his abilities, Lost probably doesn’t see him as just a promising newbie, but as combat power equal to a High-Rank Apostle,” Hill explained with a laugh.

“Hill exaggerates. An Apostle’s combat power changes fundamentally with each rank up. However much they value me, they wouldn’t view me directly as high-rank combat power,” Qin Lun replied with a faint smile.

“Kelly approaching me likely has two reasons. One, she might want some kind of help from me. But she didn’t bring it up in the end, so I can’t guess blindly. The other reason might be gratitude. I gave Lace a hand in the last Quest World, and this is her returning the favor with a warning.”

“A warning?”

“Hmm. The war between Lost and other high-rank teams won’t engulf the whole alliance. But that doesn’t stop the other two alliances from trying to poach Order Front’s potential assets. Once the news spreads that the Light Team is completely destroyed, Order Front will inevitably face instability. Even if Lost wins in the end, they can only minimize the alliance’s losses and stop Order Front from total collapse,” Qin Lun patiently explained.

“Qin Lun, are you saying the other two Apostle Alliances will contact us?” Hansen, “The Disciple”, asked thoughtfully. “Aren’t they afraid such large movements will plunge the Devil’s Horn into chaos?”

“Haha, they aren’t recruiting anyone indiscriminately. Poaching a small group of elites doesn’t require activity here at the Devil’s Horn. They might approach directly within a Quest World!” Qin Lun said lightly. “Apostles are ruthlessly pragmatic. Recognition demands corresponding strength; words alone are useless.”

“Doing battle within a Quest World, disarming opponents through combat before offering them sweetness? That’s the perfect tactic! Previously, Order Front had both Light and Lost, two high-rank teams. Initiating such poaching risked an unwanted war. But now Light has fallen. Lost alone can’t uphold the entire alliance. So, in this conflict, unless Lost and its allies deal such blows to the other two alliances that they’re forced to compromise, Order Front can’t begin to reduce its losses!”

“So… you want us to decide again whether to stick with them or not?” Grant nodded, then asked hesitantly, “Qin Lun, I’ve had this question since earlier. Did Kelly perhaps hide something else from you? Or has Lost itself suffered heavy losses? Otherwise, they wouldn’t fail to see the impact inviting outsider high-rank teams would cause!”

At Grant’s words, Qin Lun and the others fell silent. Everyone except Grant, who had known no family affection or understood genuine group loyalty since childhood, vaguely grasped the answer.

“Because they have something they want to protect!” Hill stood up, drew the curtains, and gazed out the window, eyes flickering as if recalling some past memories.

“If that’s all, Qin Lun, unless you have anything else to add, let’s vote by the old rule: minority yields to the majority!” Hansen looked impassively at Qin Lun. “You pulled us into Lost last time. So it begins with you again…”

“One vote yes. Four abstain!” The voting result left all five Serial Killers with rather peculiar expressions.

All of them craved stimulation and adventure. Helping Lost or not didn’t matter much to them. As long as High-Rank Apostles didn’t target them directly, they could always move to another Apostle City. The abstentions were understandable.

The key surprise was the single ‘yes’ vote for helping Lost—it wasn’t Qin Lun, but “The Shepherd” Hill!

“I assumed that among the five bosses, Dissector and Firecracker would be most likely to vote yes. Never expected it would be Lord Hill,” Silva privately messaged Lili on the Apostle Channel.

“That shows you don’t understand the bosses’ personalities,” Lili replied meaningfully, glancing at Silva. “I’m not as smart as you. But the bosses value me more than you precisely because you’re always full of yourself.”

Silva’s expression became awkward. He forced a dry chuckle and fell silent. He knew Lili spoke the truth. In terms of seniority, both he and Lili were convicts who entered the Shattered Starry Sky alongside the Serial Killers. Lili had participated in missions with Qin Lun, Hansen, and Grant. Silva had missions with Hill, Hansen, and Rand.

The key difference? During her missions, when Lili got into trouble, her three bosses were usually willing to help her, even sharing spoils. Like in the Divine Comedy World—though she hadn’t contributed much in the end, Qin Lun and Grant still gave her the magic cube dropped by Luke.

Silva’s experience was different. He, too, had missions with three bosses. But apart from Shepherd Hill, the other two hadn’t acknowledged him. The problem was the opposite of Lili’s: his EQ trailed his IQ. And his “smartness” had no effect against the razor-sharp minds of the Serial Killers, leaving him less favored than Lili.

“Hehe, Sister Lili, please explain it to me then?” Silva knew his shortcomings. But he had one strength: being good with women. His “Sister Lili” made her eyes narrow with delight.

“Before explaining, tell me—why did you think those two bosses would vote yes?” Lili’s eyes curved like pretty crescents, a touch smug.

“Well… I heard Boss Qin Lun was locked up by the Federation most of his life, barely understands social norms. But since entering the Star Void, he seems to have grown more… emotional? He clearly admires that High-Rank Apostle, Kelly… He brought us all into Lost…” Silva chose his words carefully. “And today? Throughout the meeting, his mind wasn’t fully focused. Isn’t that because Lost’s crisis troubles him? As for Boss Rand… Given his former job as a firefighter, shouldn’t he naturally respect Lost’s methods?”

As Silva spoke, Lili’s expression gradually lost its smugness and turned serious. After a thoughtful pause, she replied, “You noticed details I wouldn’t. But I would never try to unravel the bosses’ moods like you. That’s dangerous.”

“I know. It’s a professional itch left over from my days as an art thief,” Silva sighed helplessly. “Forget it. Just tell me your thoughts.”

“I told you, the bosses are far more perceptive than us. They hate people being presumptuous. But understanding some of their motives isn’t hard. There’s a simple way.” A smile returned to Lili’s face. “Learn about one boss… from another boss!”

“That works?” Silva’s eyes lit up.

“Mhm. Lord Hansen once said, among them five, Qin Lun is the most dangerous—danger even he himself couldn’t truly control!” Lili said gravely.

“You mean Qin Lun’s alternate personality?” Silva nodded thoughtfully.

“No, unrelated to Joey Foster! Qin Lun did develop more complex feelings after entering the Star Void. But Hansen believes he’s merely experimenting with these novel sensations. His emotions are like clothes to him—an external accessory.”

Lili paused to cast a nervous glance towards Qin Lun before adding carefully, “Perhaps Qin Lun had a chance for redemption once. But not now. After so many years, he’s solidified. He’s incapable of real change. At any moment, he might shed these emotions like an old coat and revert to that blank, empty core.”

A chill ran down Silva’s spine. “Alright, not Qin Lun. What about Boss Rand?”

“To understand Boss Rand, grasp what a firefighter does. Actually, firefighters possess the ultimate decisiveness and situational awareness. If he could save a hundred people, he’d willingly sacrifice ninety-nine if forced to choose.” Lili giggled. “To Lord Rand, we are that hundred people. Lost… they’re the ninety-nine he would sacrifice.”

“Alright… I get it.” Silva’s expression was complex as he looked at the smiling beauty. Suddenly, he felt Lili might just be smarter than him after all.

Watching Hill and the others leave, Qin Lun expressionlessly drew the curtains closed. The flickering in his eyes, however, revealed intense contemplation.

The main purpose of today’s gathering wasn’t discussing the Lost Team, but a trade meet within their own small group. Lili was right: Qin Lun wouldn’t help Lost solely due to some minor bond with Kelly. His uncharacteristic mental state lately resulted from a clash of concepts.

It had taken roughly ten Quest Worlds for the five Serial Killers, stumbling out of the Shattered Starry Sky initially, to become a unit. Though they couldn’t exactly be called life-and-death companions—perhaps they never would be—they’d built a level of trust and tacit understanding, forming the embryo of a team.

Part of Qin Lun’s Divine Comedy World gains had been purchased by the others. The divine incantation scroll from Father Jack proved highly useful to Hill. The Shepherd claimed its market value was higher than Qin Lun thought, around ten thousand Shattered Crystal.

Yet, due to Hill’s specific needs, he paid thirty thousand Shattered Crystal—effectively fleeced. Neither side minded. Their camaraderie didn’t prevent sharp bargains. Like how the others had extorted Qin Lun using intelligence on the Reincarnator invaders after the last world.

The curved blade dropped by the Second Order Reincarnator Uka was bought by Silva. The others weren’t interested. As Disciple Hansen put it: as a main weapon, its quality was insufficient; as a secondary weapon for a weapon master, it required proficiency in sword energy techniques—too much hassle.

For Silva, about to undergo Class Change, it was entirely sufficient. Remembering his own Class Change, Qin Lun’s main weapon was the Dark Gold set weapon Burial of Light and Darkness—a true gold-sink requiring purchasable bullets and overall less versatile than this blade.

Qin Lun sold the blade for seventy thousand Shattered Crystal—a genuinely economical price. As leaders, they needed to show largesse towards their Servant Apostles.

Among the three items dropped by Black Queen Mira, Qin Lun planned to keep the Phantom Leathers himself. The Blood Crystal remained unsold. Its side effects were too severe; even Silva and Lili dismissed it.

Actually, within their small team, Silva and Lili weren’t standout talents. Among ordinary Apostles, though, they were elites. Consider their longer breaks between Quest Worlds: passing about seven worlds so far, nearing their own Class Change, their progress couldn’t be called slow.

Surviving so many missions, they’d naturally accumulated lifesaving items—mostly escape tools. Unsuitable for direct combat, their instinct was flight, rendering the combat consumable Blood Crystal worthless for them.

Qin Lun considered giving the crystal to Frank but quickly dismissed the idea. The hunchbacked servant was stubborn. Back at Albert Castle, to shield Qin Lun from suspicion, he endured grievous injuries for hours, nearly bleeding out.

Given a Blood Crystal, he might stubbornly fight until the side effects activated, potentially killing him.

The surprise came from the final drop: the composite weapon case, “Grim Chain Gunblade”. Nobody wanted it. Not entirely accurate. Hansen wavered for quite some time.

As a mercenary, he favored a mix of broadsword and shotgun. His Viking Warrior profession, demanding mastery of diverse weapons, ensured adaptable combat styles requiring plenty of backups.

But again—insufficient quality. The Golden-grade Grim Chain Gunblade was top-tier for ordinary Novice Apostles. For a Disciple nearing Second Order, however, this composite case fell short. Considering it just a reserve weapon felt wasteful.

Thus, both the Grim Chain Gunblade and the “Archery Mastery” skill book remained in Qin Lun’s grasp. As for items brought by Hill and the others? Qin Lun found nothing he needed, though Grant did close a major deal with Hill—an estimated trade value exceeding five hundred thousand Shattered Crystal.

The Joker sold “Saint Irene’s Nail” to Hill, receiving an extremely rare Apostle item—Life Fruit. Named by the Shepherd for its resemblance to Eden’s life-giving fruit in native worlds.

Of course, eternal life by eating it was impossible for Apostles. Its core function was Bloodline Fusion—forcing two utterly incompatible Bloodline genes to merge, correcting defects to achieve perfect compatibility.

Saint Irene’s Nail, brought into the Shattered Starry Sky, achieved Legendary Second Order status—identical to the Holy Crown of Thorns before merging with Ayala’s Artifact Spirit. But the Life Fruit was rarer. Negotiations ended with Grant paying Hill over a hundred thousand Shattered Crystal extra to match its value.

Just think: perfect fusion of any two bloodlines? How game-breaking! Angel + Demon? Fire + Frost? Titan + Dragon? Higher-tier bloodlines blend harder. Normally, even Apostles possessing two godly lineages must choose one.

A compatible bloodline doesn’t grant instant immense power, but lays an invaluable foundation, greatly easing the path toward High Rank and even Legendary status.

During their intense bargaining, the other three Serial Killers watching felt distinct pangs of envy. Disciple Hansen particularly. Like Qin Lun, his path to advancing the Viking Warrior class into Spirit Warrior was blocked. His Ancient Demon Ape bloodline alone was insufficient. The route to Soul Emperor required Soulfire of the Dead; the Odin route demanded a God’s Core—a Divine Spark. High prerequisites combined with painfully low fusion success rates made his situation worse even than Qin Lun’s Demon Hunter path. He might end up being the last of the five to level up.

But Hansen lacked leverage. He possessed no religious artifact like Saint Irene’s Nail. Even offering his own Legendary Equipment might not interest Hill. He could only watch, red-eyed, as the Joker triumphantly claimed the Life Fruit.

Grant sought the Life Fruit for Bloodline Fusion too. He got the magic cube from the White Giant Leo in the Divine Comedy World and incredibly rolled the White Giant Bloodline.

The Joker’s existing Virus Bloodline granted phenomenal recovery and the ability to form hardened insect carapace, but remained too thin and brittle against high-level attacks.

The White Giant Bloodline excels massively in strength and defense. Combined with the Virus Bloodline’s regenerative power, it held potential as a near-perfect main tank combination.

But they were polar opposites. Fusion was nearly impossible. Only the Life Fruit offered Grant real hope, justifying the sacrifice of Saint Irene’s Nail.

Shepherd Hill felt equally satisfied. As a devout Catholic, owning a genuine Christ Relic held importance far beyond its status as an item.

After pondering alone in the room for a while, Qin Lun rose. He gave Frank some instructions and headed out the door, walking towards the Order Front Headquarters.

A storm brewed over the Devil’s Horn; equipment prices were bound to fluctuate. Qin Lun disliked tedious bargaining. He hoped to sell leftover items before prices shifted. He also needed one more talk with Kelly.