Chapter 56: Killing the Cosmic Mouse, The Black Fruit
Lilia couldn’t help but laugh. She knew exactly why Allen was acting this way—he was setting a trap.
The last time, he looked just as innocent and obedient, nearly fooling old Dean to death.
"Squeak... squeak..."
Suddenly, sharp cries filled the air. The cosmic mouse had returned.
Lilia’s eyes lit up as she glanced at Allen.
Alexander spoke up, "This little one’s back again. Aren’t you going to try catching it?"
He wore an expectant expression. As long as he could lure the two into the deep forest, he’d have his chance to strike.
Doing it right here would raise too much noise and likely alert others.
Allen glanced at the cosmic mouse hopping nearby, then shook his head. "Let it be. If you’re really interested, Alexander, feel free to take action. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on everything."
"Heh, this little one is too clever. I think I’ll leave it be," Alexander said with a nervous laugh, though inside he was cursing Allen a thousand times.
Such a huge reward was right in front of them, and yet Allen showed no interest at all. He’d never seen anyone so foolish.
"Squeak... squeak..."
Seeing no danger, the cosmic mouse hopped forward two more steps, staring defiantly at the group.
"This guy is brave, isn’t he?" Allen suddenly stood up. Alexander jumped slightly, his eyes wide with hope.
The cosmic mouse grew alert, ready to bolt at any moment.
But Allen didn’t move. Instead, he asked, "Alexander, if I kill this one, will you even care?"
"Hey,bro, you’re funny. It’s just a little beast—why would I care?" Alexander kept his face calm while secretly watching Allen closely.
For a moment, he felt like this guy knew his true intentions. Was he just imagining it?
"Never mind," Allen muttered under his breath, then sat back down.
Alexander clearly panicked. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly felt a gentle breeze brush past him, and Allen vanished.
In the next instant, a sea of blade light flashed, covering a dozen meters around the cosmic mouse and cutting off all its escape routes.
"Stop!" Alexander jumped to his feet, shouting to intervene, but it was already too late.
Splat...
Blood sprayed everywhere. The cosmic mouse died instantly, never even understanding what had happened.
Allen had tricked not only Alexander but also the mouse itself.
"You..."
Alexander clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly.
"Alexander, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Lilia fought back her laughter and asked with a look of concern.
Whoosh!
Alexander took a deep breath, forcing a faint smile as he said, "It’s nothing. I’m just amazed by Little Allen’s strength. Even I didn’t have time to react."
His voice trembled slightly as he tried to hold back his fury.
The cosmic mouse hadn’t appeared here by chance; it was his tamed pet. He had paid a huge price just to tame it.
"Alexander, this mouse is quite plump," Allen said, carrying over the lamb-sized, fat cosmic mouse. He took out a dagger, skillfully drained its blood, skinned it, and cleaned it up before placing it directly over the bonfire.
Alexander’s face turned from pale to green, then back to white. He opened his mouth but said nothing.
Allen pretended not to notice, flipping through the cosmic mouse’s fur.
"Hmm, this little one is loaded with treasures!" He gave it a light shake, and a pile of items poured out from his space bag.
Clatter...
A heap of shimmering gold coins, totaling over 100,000, hundreds of monster crystal cores—all at Stage 3 or above—rolled out. Additionally, there were more than a dozen stones of various colors, emitting a faint elemental wave.
These must be rare elemental spirit stones.
Lilia’s eyes sparkled as she watched this scene.
"Lilia, put it all away. We did quite well this time," Allen said with a smile, handing the cosmic mouse’s fur over to her.
The cosmic mouse’s fur naturally contained a space bag that could be used immediately, though it was quite crude. It would need to be refined through special methods to become a proper spatial item.
Lilia quickly scooped up the scattered treasures and stuffed them into the bag, then tucked it securely against her chest.
Seeing this, Alexander’s teeth nearly shattered with rage. These treasures were all his.
Just then, a rich aroma filled the air. The cosmic mouse was perfectly roasted.
"Alexander, would you like some?" Allen cheerfully held it out toward him.
"I have no appetite. You two eat it," Alexander snapped, his tone freezing. He stood up and walked away.
Lilia frowned and whispered, "Allen, that old man is acting strange. It seems he had a bond with that cosmic mouse."
Allen nodded while savoring the roasted meat. "I noticed that too. If my guess is right, it was his pet."
Lilia gasped. "Does that mean he intentionally killed those two adventurers yesterday? Could he seek revenge on us?"
"Hmph, I’m only worried he won’t make a move."
Allen sneered. He noticed Alexander talking in hushed tones with a bodyguard, looking anything but friendly.
"Are we really going to release the beast in the cage?" Lilia asked, feeling a bit excited.
Allen thought for a moment. "Let’s figure out what creature is inside first."
He actually felt okay about Eric and didn’t want to harm the man.
If there was real danger, he and Lilia could escape via the air, but Eric and his group wouldn’t be able to do that.
"I’ll go check," Allen thought as he saw Alexander return to the tent. A bodyguard had come to the bonfire, holding something in his hand.
Curious, Allen walked over.
"Bro, what is that?" Allen asked with a smile. The man was holding two black fruits, seemingly about to throw them into the fire. Allen dashed forward and snatched them away.
"What do you think you’re doing?" the guard shouted angrily. He hated people with no boundaries.
"What kind of fruit is this? Is it good?" Allen acted nonchalant, looking curious. He popped one into his mouth and took a bite.
"Spit!" He spat it out immediately. "Too bitter."
He casually tossed both fruits aside, and they happened to hit the iron cage nearby.
Bang!
"Roar!" A furious growl echoed from inside the iron cage.
"You kid, are you trying to die?" the guard stammered, clearly flustered. He seemed terrified of the beast inside.
Allen gave him a look of pure innocence and said, "Bro, you can’t eat that fruit! It’s way too bitter."
The guard took a deep breath. Seeing Allen’s naive face, he actually felt a tiny pang of guilt.
"This isn’t food, it’s fuel," the guard explained, reaching into his chest to pull out two more fruits and tossing them into the fire.
Allen snatched them away just before the soldier could lose his temper. "Hold on,bro! Don’t burn that unknown fruit randomly. I’ve seen things like this in the water. When they catch fire, they release poison."
The guard’s heart sank. Did this kid figure it out?
But seeing Allen’s completely clueless expression, he decided he was probably overthinking it.
"It’s fine, it’s not poisonous," the guard insisted, reaching for the fruits again. But Allen was staring straight at him. Annoyed, the guard pulled his hand back. "Stop wandering around! You’re supposed to be on guard duty."
"I’m just bored, that’s all."
Allen sat down right next to the fire, acting like he belonged there. "By the way, what giant beast is locked in that cage? It must be huge to need such a massive cage."
"I don’t know," the guard said warily. "Go stand your guard."
"We’re not in a rush. My partner is watching over everything. It’s a free evening, let’s just warm up by the fire," Allen said. He took out the half-eaten roasted meat and held it out. "Do you want a bite?"
"No thanks." The guard looked at him with disgust, stood up, and said coldly, "I need to rest. You keep your watch."
Without another word, he walked straight toward Alexander’s tent.
Allen sneered, tossing the black fruits in his hand. He was right.
Last night, everyone must have been knocked out by the smoke from these strange burning fruits.
He just didn’t know what they were yet.
Whoosh...
Suddenly, a heavy, labored breathing sound came from the cage. It sounded painful.
Allen grew even more curious, but there were three or four guards guarding the cage, so he couldn’t approach.
Judging by Alexander’s behavior tonight, he was definitely planning to attack them and likely had a backup plan up his sleeve.
Allen played with the two black fruits as he walked over to Lilia.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked.
Lilia shook her head in confusion.
"This is a Flame Fruit," a cool female voice suddenly came from the shadows beside a large tree. A figure emerged from the dark.
Allen jumped, his anger flaring. "When did you get here?"
It was Black Widow.
Lilia quickly hid behind Allen. She had seen that woman’s strange tricks before and was afraid she might poison them again.
"Hmph!"
Black Widow scoffed. "I said I would kill you. If you’re scared, you can try killing me first."
Allen paused. What? Does she actually want to die?
He ignored her and held up the black fruit. "Do you know what this is?"
"It’s a Flame Fruit. It burns," Black Widow said coldly. "But the smoke it releases is poisonous and can knock people out. It’s weird, though. It only works on humans."
Just as he expected.
Allen looked around to make sure no one was watching, then asked, "Do you know who these merchants are? And what monster is in the cage?"
Black Widow shook her head slightly. "These guys are mysterious. I only know they show up every three years to transport a giant beast toward Azuremoon, but their final destination isn’t there. Plus, every mercenary and adventurer who took the job has died. No one came back alive."
"I know that. They became food for the beast in the cage," Allen replied. He had overheard Alexander’s group last night and knew about their evil plan.
He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Can you check what beast is in the cage?"
"No. Those guards are too sharp; I can’t get close." She paused, looking toward the dark forest in the distance, and whispered, "A huge group of monsters is coming. That guard must have summoned them."
Before Allen could respond, Black Widow’s figure vanished in a strange blur.