"Um."
"Um."
Big Watermelon had just been about to say goodbye when Vivian happened to speak up as well. Just like that, two slightly guilty-sounding voices rang out in the forest at the same time, one right after the other.
Uh-oh. This is bad!
Seeing the girl looking as though she wanted to speak but hesitated, Big Watermelon immediately thought that something was wrong. He hurriedly spoke before she could:
"Um, Vivian, we just happened to be passing by. We only stepped in because we thought you were in danger. But since this was all just a misunderstanding and a false alarm, we still have something to do, so we'll be leaving now."
"Don't go!"
Big Wateram had not even finished speaking when the girl, sensing that things were heading in the wrong direction, instinctively cried out and took a step forward, blocking the two of them by herself.
This scene made Liao Zixuan, who had been preparing to sit back and watch the show while munching on melon seeds, secretly delighted. Wolf Cub smacked his lips cutely.
Tsk, tsk.
Who would have thought, Vivian? You're quite good at this!
Putting everything else aside, there was one good thing about the girl: once she agreed with and accepted something, she would definitely do her utmost to accomplish it.
While Liao Zixuan was happily watching the fun, the two Beta Testers involved, Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic, were completely frightened by Vivian's sudden outbursts.
After recovering, the two exchanged a glance, and both saw despair in the other's eyes.
We're done for!
Sure enough, it was easy to board a bandit ship but hard to get off.
That Witch definitely wasn't going to let them leave!
Actually, the two Beta Testers had misunderstood our kind Vivian. The girl did not intend to stop them from leaving; she merely wanted them to hear her request first, at the very least.
An eerie silence fell.
The girl's chest rose and fell—but wait, sorry, it was flat, so it did not rise and fall.
Ahem.
In any case, she took a deep breath.
Come on, Vivian. You can do this!
As long as you lower your attitude, speak sincerely, and ask them properly, these two kind people definitely won't have the heart to refuse you!
The girl secretly encouraged herself in her heart.
She had already been successfully deceived by Liao Zixuan into believing that these two Outlanders were an extremely important force, and that whether she could obtain their help would be crucial to what came next.
She had also not forgotten Liao Zixuan's instructions.
For example, when asking someone for help, she had to get as close to them as possible. That way, she could narrow the distance between them. At the same time, she had to keep looking directly at them. After all, the eyes were the windows to the soul. Only then could she make others feel her sincerity. Finally, she absolutely could not speak too quickly or hurriedly, or it would seem as though she were forcing them.
And so, the following scene came to be.
First came a sharp crack.
Vivian took another step toward the two Beta Testers. By coincidence, an inconsiderate little branch happened to block her path. The girl stepped on it, snapping it into two pieces.
Then, the girl did not dare let her gaze wander elsewhere at all, afraid that the other party would think she was being perfunctory. She continued staring intently at the two Beta Testers.
Finally, the most crucial part arrived.
Vivian remembered Liao Zixuan's warning. Even though she was eagerly hoping that these two Outlanders could help her overcome her difficulties, she still forced herself to remain calm. She could not speak too quickly or anxiously.
Be... gentle. Softer!
"Um... could I ask the two of you to wait a moment?"
"Just a little while!" The girl clasped her hands before her chest, her eyes filled with sincere pleading as her voice turned pitiful.
Keep acting.
Keep it up!
You great Witch!
Big Watermelon was cursing up a storm in his heart. He finally understood what the title "Witch Who Likes to Disguise Herself," which Detection had revealed earlier, meant.
First, she had deliberately closed the distance, leaving them no room to escape. Then she had intentionally snapped a branch beneath her foot, making a noise. What did that mean?
It meant that if they dared move, that poor little branch would be their fate. Vivian could trample them just as easily as she had trampled that branch!
All that could still be overlooked.
But what was the most infuriating part?
Her eyes and her tone!
She was openly threatening them with all kinds of hints, yet insisted on using a weak, pitiful tone, as though she were truly begging them for help.
Her eyes never left them, and she insisted on maintaining eye contact the entire time. What else could that mean? Obviously, she wanted to observe the look on their faces as she toyed with and humiliated them.
What an atrocious hobby!
Witch!
Witch!!
Sure enough, all Witches were psychologically twisted. They were lunatics. Not one of them was normal. They were terrifying!
"Um... y-you're listening, right?"
When Vivian saw the expressions on the two Outlanders opposite her constantly changing as soon as she began to speak—especially the Hunter, who looked as though he were constipated—her heart instantly leaped into her throat.
I didn't mess this up, did I?
But that shouldn't be the case, right?
She had clearly followed everything Little Black had said and done it all very seriously!
Fortunately, Big Watermelon's response afterward made Vivian breathe a sigh of relief.
"Of course, of course! Go ahead, Miss Vivian. We're listening. We're listening very carefully!" Big Watermelon deliberately emphasized the word "carefully" and put on an extremely focused expression.
Though he cursed in his heart, when it was time to admit defeat, he had to admit defeat.
At the same time, on the other side.
Although the form of address "Miss Vivian" left the girl both flattered and somewhat unaccustomed to it.
After all, she was merely a villager from a small village, whereas the title "Miss" was usually used by gentlemen and nobles in large cities.
As expected, they're city people from a major city.
Would people of their status really be willing to accept my commission?
She became even more uncertain, but by this point Vivian could not possibly give up halfway. After pausing, she nervously organized her words and began to plead:
"It's like this. I urgently need some people to go deep into the forest..."
"No problem!"
Fortune had turned.
This time, Vivian had not even finished speaking before Big Watermelon interrupted her.
Big Watermelon thumped his chest. Without even knowing what he was agreeing to do, he directly accepted. His friend beside him, Melee God of Magic, was even more impressive, wearing a resolute expression that clearly said, "Absolute obedience. I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
Since they could not resist, they might as well accept as soon as possible and earn a favorable impression.
How did that old saying go?
Falling beneath the Witch's pomegranate skirt—
There was nothing shameful about it!
"Ah..." The girl blinked, then looked at the two of them left and right.
Vivian's face was filled with confusion.
Are Little Black's methods really that effective?
But...
I clearly haven't even said anything yet, have I?
At the same time, although this was exactly the sort of scene that a person who loved watching drama enjoyed most, Liao Zixuan no longer had time to munch on melon seeds. That was because just as Vivian made up her mind and issued her request to the two Beta Testers,
a familiar, semitransparent screen automatically appeared before his eyes.
Issue a quest to "Big Watermelon" and "Melee God of Magic"?
Before you continue