This Is the Most Efficient Method

Linsey is now facing a problem.

--fear.

It wasn't that he feared the enemy he was about to face.

Instead, it was the fellow Exploration Team who had come all the way here who were terrified of Linsey.

The sudden burst of fighting power during the battle, and the decisiveness in quickly recognizing and defeating Ya Li Kun's Stand.

This is an exceptionally outstanding ability.

An invisible line has already been drawn between him and his companions.

Although it was not explicitly shown.

But when Linsey's gaze swept over these companions, they could no longer bear it, and their eyes would involuntarily dart away.

"..."

Linsey nodded slightly.

He could understand his companions' reactions and accepted the reality with equanimity.

Not far ahead, Mira was tending to the wounds of a prisoner.

The Flame Flintlock Gun contains the power of fire, piercing through the enemy's body while leaving behind a considerable burning sensation.

While stopping the bleeding, Mira cleaned away the charred bits of flesh, occasionally taking out medication. The entire treatment was incredibly tense; she remained silent, almost entirely focused on the rescue.

Linsey didn't disturb the female doctor, but instead took the opportunity to turn her gaze to Reze beside her:

"I'm sorry, Reze, I concealed something from you on the way here."

"It's nothing. Everyone who travels should have their own secrets." The explorer didn't care about that at all. He was more concerned about the overall situation than the forest in front of him. "The problem now is that we have provoked the Riverbank Merchant Guild, and they happen to be the culprits who caused the changes in the forest."

Reze paused, then turned his gaze back to Linsey and slowly asked, "Drake, do you still plan to continue down this path?"

The explorer's words made the meaning very clear.

They are now at odds with the Riverbank Merchant Guild.

Even if we don't face Sixth Stage powerhouse in the short term, under the current circumstances, we will most likely encounter such a situation in the future.

He needs to know Linsey's true thoughts.

Linsey calmly stated the facts:

"Reze, I was the one who struck first."

Having stated her position, Linsey straightened her posture and extended her right hand to Reze:

"Also, my real name is Linsey."

"I am delighted to embark on this journey with everyone."

Their eyes met.

The explorer grasped Linsey's hand without hesitation and nodded in reply:

"Linsey, it's a pleasure to meet you too."

"..."

Men don't need to talk much.

A smile, a glance, a self-introduction.

The two reached a consensus once again.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mira faces a problem she cannot ignore.

The two prisoners appeared to have been hit by a blowgun or crossbow bolt.

However, the actual injuries were quite different.

In addition to causing penetrating wounds with astonishing penetrating power, Flintlock Gun ammunition can also leave fragments inside the body, causing considerable damage.

If the two guys lying on the ground weren't Awakened Ones, but ordinary people.

He must be completely dead now.

Mira even had a premonition.

If the weapon in Linsey's possession were to spread, it might even lead doctors to explore a new medical field.

Perhaps some powerful individuals will seize this opportunity to advance to the Sixth Stage?

"..."

"Mira, how is she?"

At that moment, Reze asked a question from behind.

Mira sighed and turned to report the situation:

"I have removed the weapon fragments from these two guys' bodies. Their injuries will not worsen, and they are definitely not in mortal danger."

Linsey spoke up from the side:

"Mira, there's another enemy in the forest."

"I hope we can get information out of them as soon as possible, then I'll deal with that guy."

The female doctor pursed her lips.

She immediately took out the Deer Antler Wine and waved it in front of Ya Li Kun's double's nose.

"Vomit--"

"Cough... cough cough!"

Upon smelling the pungent odor, the unconscious man immediately trembled.

He gradually regained consciousness, looked at Linsey and the others in front of him, and immediately realized his current situation.

The man's expression immediately turned angry. "Mr. Ya Li Kun already knows everything that happened here!"

"Just you wait, none of you are getting away!"

"..."

Facing an arrogant prisoner.

Linsey briefly recalled Red's approach to things.

The next second, Linsey held a Steel Spear in her hand and pierced through the lower edge of the man's ribs with a 'thud'.

The force of the blow was so great that the spearhead didn't stop until it was completely embedded in the ground.

"Ah!"

The Steel Spear pierced through his body, causing the man to tremble. The excruciating pain made him unable to move, so he could only twist and tense up, panting heavily.

Linsey said coldly:

"Losers should have the self-awareness of losers."

"I don't have a penchant for tormenting people, so you'd better make things clear before anything more unpleasant happens."

"Hmm..."

The man whose body had been pierced was sweating profusely.

Even so, he still refused to answer, only staring at Linsey with hateful eyes:

"You... don't even think about it..."

Linsey frowned.

He didn't want to torture the prisoner, but if the guy still wouldn't talk...

"Mira, please!"

Just then, Reze spoke up.

Instead of interrogating the man lying on the ground, he looked at the doctor in his team with pleading eyes. "This request is not for our own selfish interests."

"..."

"Okay." Mira nodded.

As a core member of the Exploration Team, she also understood the importance of this trip.

Mira then reached into the herbal pouch at her waist and pulled out a dead insect that looked like a stick worm.

With a gentle squeeze, the insect's corpse crumbled into powder in her hand, which she then patted below the man's nostrils, allowing it to enter his nasal mucosa with his breath.

"What is this... um..."

Inhale the powder of this insect.

The man on the ground was about to question him, but before he could finish speaking, his eyes became unfocused.

He even stopped crying out in grief, and could no longer feel the pain in his body.

Seeing this, Reze asked, "Tell me, what exactly were you doing in the forest?"

The dazed man replied, "The Chamber of Commerce has discovered the Forest Veins and wants to extract them to restore its status in Platinum City."

Reze looked doubtful:

"Restore status?"

The man continued, "The original Seventh Stage leader of the Riverbank Merchant Guild went bankrupt and committed suicide in Platinum City. As a result, we were also driven out of the core trading circle and could only risk seeking opportunities in this Borderlands in exchange for a chance to return to the business center."

Reze wasn't interested in the merchants' petty scheming; he only pressed for information about the forest. "What are the Forest Veins? What are their functions?"

The man continued in reply:

"It is the essence of the Courtyard in the Forest and Essence Forest Will."

"Theoretically, it is enough to allow Seventh Stage awakener to advance, and it is quite valuable."

Seventh Stage advancement!

The people in the forest were in an uproar when they heard the news.

The Seventh Stage of awakening is almost the limit they can reach.

Hearing such news now, it's hard not to feel emotional, and all sorts of thoughts inevitably arise uncontrollably.

Linsey is a rather unconventional one.

Having traversed the Black Mountain World, he was used to such things and even had the leisure to continue asking questions:

"The changes in the forest must be caused by this, right? What did you do to it?"

The dazed man continued to answer:

"Stimulating the Forest Veins will trigger changes in the forest. At the same time, we can also use these fluctuations to search for the direction of the veins' connection and find the core of its true nature."

Linsey nodded slightly.

This explanation corresponds to the information he gathered, so the information the man provided should be accurate.

What did you say?!

At that moment, a voice filled with anger rang out beside Linsey.

Faced with this answer, Reze clenched his fists and asked through gritted teeth:

"The forest has been undergoing such frequent changes in the past six months; it's all your doing!"

"Are you all crazy?"

The man lying on the ground still honestly replied, "This is the most efficient way."

"The Riverbank Merchant Guild's business license in Platinum City is about to expire, and we must hurry."

"..."

"Reze, calm down!"

It looked like Reze's anger was about to get out of control.

Linsey quickly stopped the explorer and asked the man lying on the ground:

Tell me, who was the last person left behind in this secret realm?

The man answered honestly:

"He is a sorcerer of the Element School."

"Ya Li Kun arranged for him to stay here and be responsible for stimulating the Forest Veins."