Chapter 2749: For the Sake of Leveling Up

With the scholars and butler mediating, the botanist and gourmet were temporarily separated, but the looks they exchanged were anything but friendly; clearly, this matter was far from over.

Mr. Wen had yet to return, and Harry showed no signs of leaving, comfortably indulging in the estate’s food and drink. Xu Huo had few daily tasks and generally spent his time conversing with Harry, wandering the garden, and watching Mrs. Ti Hui.

By dusk the following day, Mrs. Ti Hui finally took away a hummingbird.

The hummingbird was brought back to her room only after her potion proved ineffective. Later that night, Xu Huo inquired with a servant responsible for delivering daily necessities and learned that the hummingbird in the cage at Mrs. Ti Hui’s bedside had transformed into a Red Feathered Hummingbird. It was unlike the fake left by the photographer; this hummingbird’s red feathers were not yet fully grown, needing another day or two.

Xu Huo checked Mrs. Ti Hui’s room for bird feed-related items and found no poisonous materials. It seemed she had privately stored the toxins fed to the Red Feathered Hummingbird, isolating access from others in the estate.

He patiently observed that Mrs. Ti Hui, besides feeding birds, allotted time to gather nectar, with "early risers" being among them.

Guessing that her special feed was likely made from these nectars, Xu Huo managed to procure some and fed a few hummingbirds. When these hummingbirds flew back to the greenhouse, Mrs. Ti Hui was compelled to bring them back to her room for feeding.

After two attempts, he deduced the kinds of nectar Mrs. Ti Hui used in her feed. So, he fed some hummingbirds in his room, applying both nectar and the poison given by Dr. Deng.

When the photographer visited, he saw Xu Huo feeding birds, immediately asking, "You got the poison from that old clump?"

Xu Huo raised his hand slightly to block the photographer’s attempt to come closer, calmly saying, "Can you take on Mrs. Ti Hui?"

The photographer sat down beside him, "You can’t? Teaming up, we could kill her easily. The estate isn’t open to the public; if someone disappeared, it wouldn’t trace back to us for ages."

Xu Huo glanced at him, "Mrs. Ti Hui is the only one who can raise the Red Feathered Hummingbird."

"If she dies, the value of the Red Feathered Hummingbird could double," the photographer remarked with a smug smile.

"I do not have such plans currently." Xu Huo closed the cage, but as he turned away, the photographer suddenly reached for a cage. However, in the next moment, he was fixed in place by the Spatial Ray.

Calmly circling to his side, Xu Huo patted the photographer’s shoulder, "Your words have merit; Zone 022 doesn’t care about the lives of Outer Zone players. If someone goes missing, it’ll take ages to notice..."

"I was just joking!" The photographer grinned impishly, "I didn’t mean to do anything; I just wanted to see when the bird will grow its red feathers."

The Spatial Ray Blade pressing against his carotid artery advanced slightly, and Xu Huo’s voice echoed again, "Looking for a bird isn’t worth killing over, but there won’t be a next time."

With the end of his words, the photographer felt the pressure around him ease. Turning, he saw Xu Huo already by the coffee table, seemingly intending to pour himself tea.

The two were now at a distance, with the photographer closer to the birdcages, while Xu Huo had his back turned to him...

The photographer’s nostrils flared, breathing grew rapid, taut skin and gleaming eyes hinted at his eager mindset, but just a second later, he abandoned his thoughts, following Xu Huo to the coffee table.

Xu Huo didn’t mind the change in his mindset, instead asking, "Did the gourmet and botanist fight?"

"Had a minor clash," the photographer replied. "The botanist isn’t looking for hummingbirds; the other two might be more uncertain, but they seemed in no hurry after arriving."

"Have you seen Mr. Wen?" Xu Huo asked again.

"Of course," the photographer affirmed. "An ailing old man, gasping after a few words. Taking his pictures, I worried I’d capture funeral photos, yet he managed to visit friends. Convenient for others to act."

Speak of Cao Cao, and he arrives; hardly had they finished speaking when the estate gates opened, and a flight vehicle glided in. All around the estate, the servants put down their work, heading to the garden. The butler and Mrs. Ti Hui arrived too; one went ahead to greet, the other stood beneath the porch.

Mr. Wen was aided down by a young man, appearing older than Mrs. Ti Hui, yet his expression was gentle as he softly conversed with the butler.

The butler soon informed Xu Huo and others that Mr. Wen planned to host a banquet in three days, inviting his friends to visit. Naturally, Xu Huo and the others were welcome to attend and needn’t rush to leave.

Upon hearing this, the photographer’s face fell, "Doesn’t Mr. Wen dislike hosting banquets? His sudden decision might trigger a side quest?"

He glanced at Xu Huo’s birds, then said, "Better approach Mrs. Ti Hui; finish sooner, leave sooner."

Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly, "You haven’t realized? Since Mr. Wen returned, this estate has changed."

The photographer followed his gaze, noticing how, after dusk, the estate’s end became indistinct, as if veiled by a layer of frosted glass.

"Could the estate be a dungeon venue?" He reacted.

"Perhaps," Xu Huo was unsure. Yet after Mr. Wen’s entry, most estate areas became difficult to probe with Spatial Rays, each was cloaked in a thick shell, blocking any exploration.

Even if it were an instance, it wasn’t a significant problem for them. Their current instance hadn’t ended; as long as the estate wasn’t fully locked, they could leave anytime. However, if sealed, leaving would require brute force.

But previously, the estate hadn’t recorded such "incidents," the likelihood was low.

The sole issue could be the emergence of side quests.

Unpredictability equates to danger, the photographer grew slightly anxious, perhaps Xu Huo might depart, appearing to plan differently.

Xu Huo had gone through eight Rank-B copies, including "The Wandering Melissa," which he completed when his Player Level was still C. This high-difficulty instance allowed him to advance smoothly to Rank-B Player. Among the subsequent instances, he only achieved Rank-A in the Doll copy related to many believers’ idol replicas, and due to Dou Shengnan’s failure in the Stolen Declaration, his S and SS-ranked instances for Rank-B were merely five; this significantly lowered his average scoring.

Regarding instance completion, players have two paths to level up: quantity over quality, even if each has a low rating, doing enough instances in ample time results in level elevation; the other is quality-centric. Xu Huo’s rapid ascent to Rank-B was due to consistently high ratings per instance. Thus, despite few instances completed, he advanced swiftly.

High-rated clearances bring many benefits, notably better quality props, and with Xu Huo’s current strength, there was no need to remain stuck at Rank-B. He should promptly ascend to Rank-A to partake in instances fitting his prowess, securing superior rewards, and reaching more potent wormhole points and partitions.

Meanwhile, side quests are also a route to high ratings.