"It seems the opponent is locking onto targets visually, but I don't know which direction they're looking from…"
Ying Ping analyzed, "Everyone, we seem to be temporarily safe in the forest."
Artemis's expression was grave, "We must find a way to break through this defensive line…"
"No, Artemis, now is not the time."
Ying Ping shook his head, "Everyone is already exhausted from the journey, it's too dangerous to continue rushing forward."
He looked around, "Tonight, let's move away from this forest and rest nearby, then we'll figure out a way to break through tomorrow."
Everyone agreed.
The continuous days of forced march flying and the recent battle had indeed consumed a lot of stamina.
Just as they left the area to find a suitable campsite, an unexpected figure emerged from the thicket—
"Mr. Ying Ping?"
A familiar and pleasant voice made Ying Ping turn his head.
He saw Ryu Lion, wearing a cloak and holding a wooden sword, looking at them in surprise.
"You're the waitress from that tavern… Ryu? What are you doing here?"
Ying Ping was also incredibly surprised, never expecting the clumsy elf to have come all the way here.
"I was invited by a friend to participate in a subjugation quest."
"Just now, I saw the light rays attack, so I came alone to see if there were any survivors."
Ryu put away her weapon and bowed slightly, "…I didn't expect it to be you all. It's great that everyone is safe and sound."
"Are you, the Hestia Familia, also here to break through that ruin?"
She looked at the people behind Ying Ping, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"I see, it seems we have the same goal."
Ying Ping nodded.
"Then everyone, come with me, there's an adventurer's assembly camp nearby."
Ryu turned and gestured, "Adventurers from other Familias, as well as Lord Hermes's Familia, are all stationed there."
"This way, please."
Everyone followed Ryu through a dense thicket, and the scene before them suddenly opened up—
A considerable-sized camp appeared before them.
Dozens of tents were neatly arranged, and adventurers from different Familias sat around campfires.
"This is the temporary assembly point for the ruin subjugation army."
Ryu explained, "Currently, the overall situation is not optimistic. Nearby villages have been destroyed by monsters, the forest has been corrupted, and we haven't even been able to break through the gate of the ruin."
Ying Ping noticed that most of the adventurers in the camp looked tired, and many had injuries.
"It seems some people are missing again…"
Artemis said in a low voice, her eyes full of worry.
Hestia held her hand, "Don't worry, we're here this time, and Ying Ping-kun is invincible!"
Ryu led everyone to an empty campsite, "You can rest here. I'll go inform the commander that you've arrived."
Ying Ping nodded, "Thank you, Miss Ryu, thank you for bringing us here. We owe you one."
"It's nothing, you don't need to be so polite with me."
Ryu shook her head and quickly walked away.
Hermes suddenly lowered his voice, "Ying Ping-kun, don't you find it strange? That light ray attack just now…"
Ying Ping glanced at Artemis and said, "Hmm, Hestia said it was a divine power attack at the time. I think it should be a power belonging to you gods. I didn't expect it to be so strong."
Hermes immediately looked at Ying Ping with even greater admiration, praising him, "Hoh, you could notice such details in such an urgent situation, you're truly perceptive."
Upon hearing this, Artemis bit her lip and gripped the silver bow in her hand even tighter.
"Artemis, I have something to ask you, come with me!"
Just then, Hestia walked over with a serious expression on her small face.
Without explanation, she pulled Artemis away from everyone's sight and began to whisper.
As night deepened, the aroma of food wafted through the camp.
Ying Ping and a group of unfamiliar adventurers sat around a campfire, enjoying a hearty dinner.
Hermes slyly leaned close to Ying Ping, lowering his voice, "Ying Ping-kun, I just found out that the girls are going to bathe in the nearby spring… Want to go scout it out together?"
Ying Ping put down the chicken leg in his hand and looked at him expressionlessly, "No, I'm not interested in such things."
"Eh~ Don't be such a boring man!"
Hermes dramatically spread his hands, "This is a rare Welfare time!"
Ying Ping shook his head, "If you want to go, go by yourself."
Hermes pouted, "Tsk, I really misjudged you. I didn't expect you to be such a blockhead, an unromantic fellow…"
He walked away dejectedly, and soon hooked up with a few other male adventurers from other Familias. The group then stealthily disappeared at the edge of the camp.
Ying Ping watched their retreating figures, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Calling me names, huh.
He got up and found Ryu, who was on patrol, "Miss Ryu, I think there's something you might need to know…"
After listening, Ryu's clear blue eyes instantly turned cold, "…Understood. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Ying Ping."
She turned and left. Soon, the female adventurers in the camp began to move menacingly towards the spring.
But Ying Ping noticed that their eyes all carried killing intent.
It seemed Ryu had already informed them.
Hermes, completely oblivious, was still enthusiastically inciting the other male adventurers, "Listen up everyone, ahead is the paradise of beautiful girls…"
A group of male adventurers were hyped up, eager to act.
Ying Ping sat by the campfire, and after seeing this scene, calmly took a sip of hot tea, a slight smirk on his lips.
Soon after, there was a commotion in the bushes by the spring.
"Ah! Peeping Toms!"
"Unbelievable! It's Lord Hermes!"
"And others are here too!"
"Catch them quickly!"
This was followed by a series of screams and sounds of beatings.
Ying Ping looked over with interest.
Artemis walked over and asked curiously, "What happened over there?"
"Nothing major."
Ying Ping smiled slightly, "Just some people getting what they deserved."
Not long after, Ryu, accompanied by several female adventurers, escorted a group of bruised and battered male adventurers back to the camp.
Hermes was tied up, with a large bump on his head, and was hoisted onto the flagpole in the middle of the camp.
"Listen up everyone, this is what happens to those who try to peep at us!"
Ryu said coldly, her sharp gaze sweeping over every male adventurer in the camp.
The hanging Hermes wailed, "This isn't fair! How were we discovered so quickly?!"
His gaze swept to Ying Ping, who was leisurely drinking tea and even raised his cup in a gesture to him.
"I know! Ying Ping-kun! It must have been you who snitched, right?!"
Hermes cried out in indignation.
Ying Ping looked innocent: "I was just reminding them to be careful; who knew you would actually go peeking?"
"Damn it! And here I thought you were one of us! You bastard—!"
Hermes was so angry he kicked his legs, but the ropes were too tight, so he could only sway back and forth like a salted fish.
Chisato covered her mouth, stifling a laugh: "Hehe, serves him right!"
Takina looked at Hermes with a disgusted expression, as if he were a bug: "Public enemy of women, how awful!"
Kokkoro, however, was a bit worried: "Um, isn't this a bit too much to do to a god?"
Ryuu said calmly: "I think the punishment is too light. This time, Lord Hermes must learn his lesson properly."
Artemis looked at Ying Ping, then at Hermes, who was hanging and grimacing, and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
Hestia skipped over: "Ying Ping-kun! Artemis! Did you see? That annoying Hermes finally got his comeuppance!"
She watched her old acquaintance swinging in mid-air with a look of schadenfreude all over her small face.
Ilena walked over, wiping her wet hair, and whispered into Ying Ping's ear: "Oh my, I didn't expect Master to be a tattletale. What an unexpected turn of events, wouldn't you say?"
Ying Ping shrugged: "So what? I'm not close with Hermes, and I just wanted to protect you all."
As night fell, the camp gradually grew quiet.
Only the occasional groans from the hanging Hermes and the footsteps of the night watchman echoed in the darkness.
Ying Ping leaned against a large tree, far from the camp.
He gazed at the distant, dark red-shrouded Great Tree Sea, his expression somewhat troubled.
"If I kill the God-Assassin in the ruins, Artemis might die with it. What should I do then...?"
Ying Ping muttered to himself in a low voice.
He wanted Artemis to live and tried to find a solution that would satisfy both.
After only a few days of acquaintance, he found that he had already fallen for this pure and valiant Goddess of the Moon.
But the current situation was indeed grim.
Even if Artemis survived in the end, she would be sent back to the Heavens for a major violation of divine power usage.
The only hope he could still cling to now... perhaps it was the unused Chaos Summon reward he had obtained from the Sekiro world.
At this moment, Artemis gently walked up to Ying Ping and hugged him: "Orion, are you thinking about tomorrow?"
"Yes, Artemis..."
Ying Ping said softly, "Like Hestia, I truly don't want to lose you."
Artemis was slightly startled, then suddenly asked: "Say, if one day you have to choose between someone important to you and a greater cause, what would you choose?"
Ying Ping turned to look at her. In the moonlight, Artemis's expression was exceptionally gentle and righteous...