章節 4: Chapter 4 Hidden Task
The background of Floey mentioned in the post from the previous life was not extensive. Perhaps it was because the player who wrote the post did not have deep knowledge, but the information was adequate for Chen Lun to come up with a temporary plan of action.
Floey was born in a slum.
Her father was a gambler, her mother a dancer, and she had a brother who loved her dearly.
She was naturally pure and also exceptionally beautiful.
The local ruffians and drunkards all wanted to take advantage of her, but fortunately, her brother always stepped up to protect and shield her.
Although her brother was beaten and injured each time, he always managed to turn back to her with a bruised and swollen face, smiling broadly, comforting and encouraging her not to be afraid.
It seemed that as long as her brother was by her side, she could feel safe and happy.
But the good times did not last, as famine and plague enveloped the town.
Many civilians died in this natural disaster.
Food became increasingly scarce, and prices soared. Floey's already impoverished family could no longer make ends meet.
Her lazy father and harsh mother plotted to sell Floey to the family of Baron Nate in town.
Although Floey was only fourteen and her long-term malnutrition had left her somewhat thin, her features and body had developed, and a future beauty was hidden under her delicate appearance.
She would definitely fetch a good price.
That's what her parents thought.
Of course, even though the family of Baron Nate had a not-so-good reputation.
For instance, all the men in the Baron's family had strange or even perverse predilections, and there were frequent rumors of maids dying suddenly.
But Floey's greedy parents did not care about these things.
Fortunately, Floey's brother prevented their parents from going through with this insane action.
To protect his sister, he volunteered to work for the Red Apple Church in exchange for a substantial amount of money.
At that time, the Red Apple Church was actively recruiting young adults, claiming it was to build a statue for the Deity Rose.
But many of the young adults who signed up never returned. The church explained that they were unfortunately involved in accidents at the quarry.
Because of the generous compensation, coupled with the church's influence, the incident did not cause much of an uproar.
Floey's brother became one of the unfortunate and never returned.
Before she could even grieve, she was sold to the church by her cold-hearted parents.
It was only because the church was generous, the priest, Carter, who brought the compensation for her brother's death, took a fancy to her, openly stating she was the perfect candidate to serve the Deity Rose...
...
"What's wrong?"
Floey asked softly.
The young man was momentarily stunned by the question and looked up at the nun in the red robe.
But he quickly lowered his gaze and turned his head slightly, seemingly not wanting the holy girl to see his tearful, weak display.
"I... I miss my sister."
"You have a sister?"
"Yes."
Chen Lun hugged his knees, curled up in the corner of the cell.
His mind began to frantically recall scenes from his previous life. He was not lying; he really had a sister.
Chen Lun once had a happy family, not wealthy, but without worries for food and clothing.
But later, his father passed away young due to a hereditary family disease, and both his sister and he suffered from the same affliction.
Unable to cope with the pressures of life, their mother abandoned them and left home.
The siblings, who depended only on each other for survival, had to rely on social welfare, but there was no extra money for treatment.
Their family's hereditary disease was very complicated.
Even with the medical technology available at the time, it required a lot of money to control the disease, which was incurable.
Later, his sister also passed away.
Chen Lun was devastated.
He really had no grand ambitions; he simply wished to see more and broader landscapes in the short time he had left.
Fortunately, there was "Era of Mystery," a holographic game that allowed him to lie in an old second-hand sleeping pod and experience an exciting life...
"We were orphans, our parents left us at a very young age...
Although the days I depended on my sister were tough, they were also very happy, sadly, I can never see her again."
Chen Lun spoke slowly and calmly with his head bowed.
He reminisced about the bits and pieces with his sister, moved by genuine emotions.
There might have been a hint of deliberate sentimentality in the tears, but the sadness was real.
Floey could clearly feel the melancholy coming from the young man.
That emotion amplified further, involuntarily reminding her of her own brother, and she also overlooked the fleeting glimmer on the necklace around Chen Lun's neck.
"Brother..."
Floey tightened her fingers, appearing to have made a decision.
She bent slightly, leaning closer to Chen Lun.
"Eat the biscuit, but do not eat the apple, remember..."
After whispering these words, Floey restored her expressionless demeanor and turned to leave.
[Gained Floey's affection, Bond with Floey established]
[Initiated A-Rank Hidden Chain Mission: Serene Nun]
Chen Lun was slightly stunned, then filled with great joy.
It was just an act, yet he unexpectedly triggered a very rare hidden mission, and an A-Rank one at that!
He fought off the headache after using "Mermaid's Song" which again reduced his Sanity Value by 1, took a deep breath, and hastily perked up to check the mission description.
[First Phase: Ensure Floey's survival and rescue her from the Red Apple Church's branch in Emerald Town. Mission considered a failure if Floey dies]
[Mission Reward: 2000 Experience Points, 40 Silver Ducats, Floey's affection, and 1 "Low Sequence Flesh Faction Mysterious Substance"]
[Note: This mission will draw the animosity and attention of the Red Apple Church, please decide cautiously]
"Accept!"
Without any hesitation, Chen Lun decisively accepted the mission.
Ignoring what the ultimate reward for the hidden mission was, the reward offered for the first phase was exactly the resource he urgently needed.
Moreover, how could he just stand by and watch this poor girl suffer in torment...
"My biggest flaw is that I like to meddle too much... alas, being too upright isn't good either, attracting the attention of the Red Apple Church definitely won't end well."
He wiped away the remaining tears from his face, almost moved to tears again by his own sense of justice.
Although he played the role of the pitiable to gain sympathy, even resorting to using his necklace's hypnosis ability, it was merely to foster a closer relationship with Floey and hopefully increase the chances of escaping this place.
Receiving the hidden mission was a pleasant surprise; he had already planned to rescue Floey.
In his past life, upon learning about this arch-villain boss's tragic past, he had often felt pity for her.
With such an opportunity now, he wasn't about to let it slip away.
Chen Lun contemplated his next moves, tearing at the unleavened biscuit in his hand.
The biscuit did not taste good, but Chen Lun was so hungry that he quickly devoured it.
He heeded Floey's warning, opting not to eat the apple but secretly stuffed it into a mouse hole in the corner of the wall.
Soon, Chen Lun noticed something was amiss.
The young men and women who had finished their "Holy Communion" stood up one after another.
They had vacant looks and wide-open mouths, smiling foolishly like idiots.
Stunned by this scene, Chen Lun realized sitting still would make him stand out, so he quickly stood up.
Just then, footsteps were heard in the corridor outside the prison, and the shadows on the opposite wall grew closer.
Chen Lun cursed under his breath and immediately mimicked the vacant-eyed, wide-mouthed, drooling smile of those around him.
He blended perfectly into the group.
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