Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 174 Tripartite Convergence
"Wow, you looked so cool just now!" Qilu jumped excitedly on the motorcycle seat, making the motorcycle bounce.

“Sit still, or I’ll leave you behind,” Su Ming warned.

He was actually in a pretty good mood after beating Violet in training. However, he had been using the opportunity to suppress his emotions and comprehend the "Words of Despair and Heartbreak" for the past few days, and he was too deeply immersed in it to get out of it for the time being.

This was the most somber spell among the mournful ones, and Su Ming hadn't originally intended to use it. However, the despair brought about by Si Ran's sudden death caused Su Ming to become hopelessly lost in memories.

Si Ran is not an ordinary friend. Seven years ago, Su Ming failed his college entrance exam and only got into an ordinary university, and his major was assigned to him.

The two mothers agreed that Si Ran, who was also studying at a university in the same city, would take Su Ming to register.

Su Ming would put on an act in front of his parents, but once he boarded the train with Si Ran, he completely dropped his act. The soon-to-be freshman lay lifelessly slumped in the hard sleeper berth, playing mobile games with a blank expression.

"Your operation is really steady, and your strategy and tactics are very refined," Si Ran praised him.

Su Ming couldn't remember how the conversation started, but for some reason, she poured out her pent-up feelings to this older sister she wasn't very familiar with at the time.

"So, because of a minor car accident that didn't even make you late, your mindset affected your exam performance, and your essay didn't go well?" Si Ran asked.

"Yeah, then I got the last two big math problems wrong, and then my science score collapsed," Su Ming said dejectedly. "It was like a snowflake turning into an avalanche; my total score was a full 130 points lower than in the mock exam!"

"That's a real shame—why didn't you repeat a year?"

“I’m scared,” Su Ming replied with shame. “The thought of having to take the college entrance exam again and possibly encountering another accident terrifies me.” As he spoke, he even shivered involuntarily. “I’ve been having sleepless nights. The more I worry, the worse things get, and the more I feel like I can’t face it.”

"What you're seeing looks a bit like panic disorder."

"Panic disorder? What's that?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

Si Ran waved her hand, "I'm not a psychologist, just saying."

"I'm so bad, I can't handle any pressure at all," Su Ming said with a wry smile, somewhat resigned. "I'm thinking that at least I can get into a second-tier university now, so that's good too."

"It seems you know the problem lies in your mindset." Si Ran thought for a moment. "Little brother, would you be interested in playing a challenging video game with me?"

"what game?"

“A multiplayer online game on a computer. If you succeed, you can hone your mindset and develop your ability to withstand pressure there,” Si Ran replied, gesturing with her chin towards his phone. “If you fail, there’s no loss; it just replaces the entertainment time you would spend playing mobile games.”

Su Ming agreed without much consideration, and from then on, he was drawn into the world of "Hell on Earth." This is an extremely niche, hardcore war game that requires all team members to have clear roles and cooperate under the command of commanders at all levels.

The competition, in particular, is even more brutal.

Su Ming had a natural talent for games, so he was thoroughly tested in this game. As his quick thinking and comprehensive observation skills became apparent, he began to take on the role of commander under Si Ran's guidance.

This began a period of agonizing hardship. His first stint as captain resulted in five consecutive losses, and he consistently finished as a runner-up in crucial matches. He was so disheartened that he became despondent, and his team disintegrated and reorganized multiple times over the next few years. It was Si Ran who stood by him through these trials, helping him learn and grow.

Upon learning of Si Ran's death, the overwhelming sadness that welled up within Su Ming, coupled with the resilience his senior had repeatedly taught him, left him caught in a dilemma. Unsure of what to do, he chose to study magic.

Perhaps this can be considered a form of mourning.

He must return to his hometown, stand before Si Ran's grave, and offer his senior a bouquet of her favorite Phalaenopsis orchids.
-
The snowmobile was fast, and in less than an hour, the city of Lis appeared on the horizon.

Su Ming found a good spot to hide the carriage, and then followed Qi Luo toward the city gate.

There were still guards at the city gate, but this time no entrance fee was charged. Su Ming found this a little strange and asked a passerby what was going on. He learned that they used to charge an entrance fee, but the neighboring Dawn Territory had abolished it throughout the entire territory. This caused many caravans and travelers to choose to take a detour to Dawn Territory, so Ries City had to follow suit and abolish its entrance fee as well.

Indeed, all progress stems from involution!
According to the confession obtained from interrogating Old Luo's soul, his superior was a man named Acosta in Ries City. Su Ming easily found out the address and went to investigate. It was a detached house surrounded by a fairly large yard.

The cellar beneath the house must be quite spacious. These people who run shady businesses all seem to have the same choice.

When Su Ming and Qi Luo arrived, they saw a restaurant waiter carrying a basket, delivering food inside. Su Ming observed for a moment and realized it was enough food for more than a dozen people, which was roughly the number of enemies.

"Go in and kill?" Qi Luo asked. She was much more obedient today, probably knowing that she was no match for Su Ming in this kind of matter.

Su Ming gave her an annoyed look. "There are so many enemies, and I'm still out of magic power—you want me to just rush in and get myself killed?"

"What should I do?"

Su Ming thought for a moment and then suggested, "Why don't you go and report it to the sheriff?"

Interviews with passersby revealed that the town's public security is decent. After all, even if the people are treated like livestock, their lives still need to be taken care of.

What's particularly beneficial is that, due to the large number of people fleeing to the neighboring Dawn Territory last year, the lord was forced to change many policies, and overly cruel and derelict officials were replaced. After all, the population on the Ice Plains is sparse; a territory without people and a lord is nothing.

The Morton family's high-profile implementation of a policy of appeasement slowed down the loss of their people to some extent, and even absorbed some people from other places, thus compensating for the losses to a certain extent.

So let the more distant territories worry about it; as long as my fellow Daoists die, it's fine.

The influence of the strategy led by the Northern Flow Commoners faction of the Church of Light on this snowy plain is spreading in a chain reaction. With ample military power as a backing, the way these territorial nobles dislike them but are unable to eliminate them is truly endearing.

The unicorn, having seemingly sorted out the intricacies of the situation, hopped and skipped off to the police station.

****
Su Ming waited for a while before he saw a noisy group of people rushing towards him from afar. The leader, a fat middle-aged man dressed as a sheriff, was still shouting loudly.

Su Ming sighed, "Did this group of idiots come here?!" Was he really being too naive to think that these people would be of any use?

The delivery guy who delivered the food earlier appeared outside the yard again with a basket, apparently to collect the dishes left behind from the previous delivery.

Su Ming rushed over and stopped him, flashing several silver coins. "I'll buy your clothes and basket!"

The waiter was overjoyed, fearing he might change his mind, and immediately began to take it off in the street. "No, just an apron," Su Ming quickly added.

The waiter put down the apron and basket, which Su Ming quickly put on. He tossed the silver coins to the waiter, "I also bought the bowl you left inside. Do you have enough money?"

"That's enough, that's enough!" the waiter said hurriedly as he caught the silver coins.

"Then get lost, don't get in my way!" Su Ming rudely shooed him away, put his weapons into a basket, covered it with a cloth, and went to knock on the courtyard gate.

Finally, before the guards arrived, the courtyard gate opened, and Su Ming squeezed in first, heading straight into the house.

The door was opened by a man who looked like a mercenary. Seeing his attire, the man didn't suspect anything. "The bowls are all piled on the table. Tell the boss to add more oil and salt. Don't be so stingy." He continued, "And don't just serve radishes and potatoes all the time. Give me more green vegetables. I'm so full of this that I can't even poop!"

Upon seeing the door open, the fat sheriff leading the group rushed over and blocked the door from closing. "I am Alessandro, the sheriff of Ries City! We are now conducting a search of you. Get out of the way!"

As Su Ming watched this reckless fellow squeeze in with seven or eight security guards, the merchant Acosta immediately came out of the house. More mercenaries appeared, subtly surrounding the security guards.

The fat man seemed oblivious and loudly announced again that he was the sheriff and was going to inspect the cellar, demanding that Acosta cooperate obediently.

Su Ming sighed, "How can people be so different? Rupert, the security captain in Shafeng Town, was so clever just a few days ago."

Is it true that makeshift teams are the norm in the world?

The security guards who followed clearly knew nothing of the matter; they had simply been summoned by Alessandro, grabbed their weapons, and followed. Some had been shaken awake from their afternoon nap and were still yawning. The target was a businessman, whom everyone assumed was likely involved in tax evasion or something similar, so they were completely unprepared.

[Su Ming, that idiot is newly appointed, and seems to be from a lord's family.] The unicorn's message arrived. [Don't blame me, I tried everything to stop him, but I couldn't.]

Su Ming glanced outside and saw the little girl, with her short legs, peeking out from behind a nearby wall.

"Why don't you revert to your original form?" Su Ming sighed. He knew it. A little girl went to the police station, and the fact that they even came to check was already a commendable act!

"How was I supposed to know these idiots wouldn't recognize me? I was breathing down my lungs!" the unicorn complained. "Who wants to take off their winter coat in this freezing weather?!"

Without concealment, Qi Luo's true form is easily detected by mid-level combat professionals. Even if their perception is insufficient, the footprints she leaves are much deeper than those of a normal little girl, and they make a small crunching sound when she steps on the stone slabs.

Especially now, with the gentle breeze, the stray strands of hair at Qiluo's temples fluttered in the wind. "Can't you even notice such a simple detail?!" Su Ming cursed inwardly.

But things have come to this, and they can only take it one step at a time. Su Ming sent a message to Qi Luo: "We'll act according to the situation, don't act rashly."

【Um. 】

After the fat sheriff led his men into the house, Acosta made a gesture to knock them unconscious. The mercenaries immediately swarmed forward and struck each of them on the back of the neck. Su Ming, disguised as a restaurant waiter, was not spared either; he obediently fell to the ground.

"Don't kill them yet, keep them as hostages," Acosta said, then angrily stomped on Alessandro's feet a few times. "Damn fatso, why did you come to investigate me for no reason! Everyone, pack your things, bring out all the carriages and horses, and get out of here immediately!"

The sheriff's brazen arrival at his doorstep clearly indicated he wasn't certain Acosta was involved. However, Acosta's group was utterly incapable of withstanding scrutiny, especially now that they were carrying a major bombshell. The criminals had no choice but to hurry and escape.

Su Ming caught the scent of wound medicine. He slightly opened his eyes to observe and saw eleven mercenaries, all of them mid-level. Four of them had wounds of varying severity, wrapped in thick bandages, clearly indicating that they had recently gone through a fierce battle.

There was also a young man with a panicked expression, who was clearly a menial servant with only low-level strength, so he was not included in the count.

In the yard, important items were quickly packed up, and the sleds and snow reindeer were brought out and harnessed. There were two barrels against the corner of the wall, and a few people were about to lift them when Acosta stopped them.

"We can't carry kerosene, it's too heavy. Speed ​​is the priority!"

“But—” one of the mercenaries tried to argue. Finding fuel on the snowy plains was difficult, and untreated, damp wood was hard to burn. They didn't know how long they would have to stay in the cold wilderness once they set out.

“A little less fire won’t kill you!” Acosta scolded them.

Acosta himself wore a formidable-looking soft armor, offering both defense and warmth. However, the novice and several wounded mercenaries looked rather grim. Without a fire, the night would be difficult for them.

The mercenary captain walked over and kicked the barrel that had caused the altercation, smashing it to pieces. The semi-solid oil spilled onto the ground, flowing whitely into the slush. "There's a supply point three days' journey away," he yelled at the men. "Get to work!"

The mercenaries hurriedly continued with their work.

Su Ming understood immediately; these people had been abandoned.

Suddenly, a hamster-like alchemical golem appeared out of nowhere, crawling past Su Ming on its four short legs and running towards the entrance of the cellar.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a tiny puppet in this other world. Completely different from Beianqi's rigid combat puppet, this miniature puppet had a bizarre design and exquisite craftsmanship.

Are there puppeteers among the mercenaries? Su Ming secretly took note.

****
In the attic across from Acosta's house, Isher and Gerus, who were resting, were shaken awake. They had originally planned to raid Acosta's house that night, so they were taking a nap during the day to recharge.

Upon learning that the situation had changed, Isher quickly went to check and found that Acosta and his group were fleeing in a panic.

"What's going on?" Iser was taken aback; she had only slept for an hour.

"The sheriff of Ries City just went in with a few team members," Priest Zeflin of the church in Shafur Town reported to them. This hiding place was the one he had tracked down. "There was no sound of fighting; they must have been subdued instantly."

"You stupid pig who's good for nothing but causing trouble!" Iser cursed as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Which sheriff?" Jelus asked Zeflin. "Wasn't the sheriff of Ries City dismissed?"

“He’s a newly appointed acting official,” Zeflin explained. “He’s Arranged to fill in temporarily as Lord Morton’s second son, Alessandro.”

(End of this chapter)