Chapter 467 - 241: In the Mountains (Part 1)
Maya confirmed the positions for our firepower and planned our route, and we set off in the morning. Not long after entering the mountains, Sunlight and Starlight fell behind, erupting into an argument. As the guide, scout, point man, spearhead, trap-tester, and rope handler, Lin Wu only knew what was happening but not why, and it made him itch with curiosity. It’s not that he enjoyed gossip, but it was impossible to resist when the gossip was so explosive, especially since this was about a model couple, a golden boy and a girl made of jade.
So Wai took the lead as the point man while Lin Wu gradually fell back, his mind a hive of speculation. Maya, seeing through Lin Wu’s intentions, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him to the front of the group. Under Lin Wu’s questioning, Maya shared what she’d heard: "They seem to be arguing about Hardcore Mode. It looks like Starlight doesn’t want to stay in Hardcore Mode, while Sunlight wants to challenge himself by staying in it."
Maya said, "Sunlight indicated he would support Starlight and the others leaving Hardcore Mode. Starlight got so angry he cursed in Shrimpese, and the two started arguing in Shrimpese."
Lin Wu asked, "You don’t speak Shrimpese?"
Maya replied, "The purpose of a language is to communicate and learn. Shrimpese has no value in that respect." She was a pragmatist.
Lin Wu glanced at the romanticist Shana, who was supposed to be leading the rear guard and asked, "Hey, why are you at the front trying to eavesdrop on my private conversation with Maya?"
Shana let out an "Ah," looked up at Lin Wu, and stumbled forward. Fortunately, Maya was in front of her and not Lin Wu. Maya, quick as a flash, caught her, preventing a nasty fall. If it had been Lin Wu instead, he might have instinctively thrown a punch at Shana to knock her out of harm’s way rather than let her fall flat on her face. Whether or not others believed Lin Wu was capable of such a thing, at least Maya did.
After steadying Shana, Maya asked, "What happened?" her mind elsewhere.