March 7th and Dan Heng tensed up simultaneously.
March's bowstring was drawn taut once more, the arrowhead aimed at Sampo's chest. Dan Heng's Cloud-Knight spear was held defensively before him, its blade glinting coldly. Both reacted almost in the same instant that Caelus had uttered the words "Masked Fool."
"Who are you?"
Dan Heng's voice was low, and the tip of his spear crept forward half an inch.
Sampo held his hands high, all ten fingers spread stiffly in the cold wind. He wore an expression more bitter than the snowy plains themselves as he gestured with his chin toward Caelus.
"I say, this brother here practically read out my bank account password. And you're still asking me who I am?"
Dan Heng did not lower his weapon.
"Why would a Masked Fool appear on Jarilo-VI? What is your purpose here?"
"Purpose?" Sampo's expression shifted from bitter to aggrieved, and he raised his hands even higher. "You're the off-worlders, aren't you? I'm a local. What purpose could I possibly have just hanging around my own home?"
Caelus stood to the side, his gaze flicking between March 7th and Dan Heng. Their stances were so tense, it was as if they had run into some world-ending threat. He couldn't help but speak up.
"What's a Masked Fool?"
The snowy plains fell silent for two seconds.
---o---
March 7th and Dan Heng turned their heads to look at him at the same time. Sampo looked over as well.
The expressions on the three faces were different, but they all shared a common thread of utter shock.
Sampo's mouth opened and closed, then opened and closed again, a thousand retorts warring in his mind.
You don't know what a Masked Fool is? Then how did you just recite my name and title with perfect accuracy? Dude, are you using cheats or something?!
March 7th voiced the question on Sampo's mind directly. She relaxed her bowstring slightly and tilted her head to stare at Caelus.
"You were able to state his identity so clearly, so how do you not know what a Masked Fool is?"
Caelus thought for a moment, wanting to explain, but with an outsider present, he could only offer a vague reply.
"It's a little special ability of mine. I can directly see through people's identities."
As for why he didn't even know what a Masked Fool was, the reason was simple. Himeko had told him before that the Archives on the train held detailed records on all the major factions in the galaxy and that he should browse through them when he had time. But he hadn't.
He had always been the type of player to skip the tutorial and jump straight into the action. Just kill things, look at the names of the loot drops, and work backward from there, right?
March 7th and Dan Heng exchanged a glance but didn't press Caelus further about his ability. Everyone had things they preferred not to talk about. If Caelus wanted to share, he would. If not, they would wait until the day he was ready.
Still, Dan Heng's fingers tightened on the shaft of his spear, his heart a little unsettled.
If Caelus could see Sampo's hidden identity, could he also see his own?
He didn't let it show, pushing the thought down and turning to Caelus to explain.
"The Masked Fools are a group of Pathstriders who follow the Path of Elation. Their only goal is amusement, and they often do outrageous things in search of it. They don't have the best reputation throughout the universe."
The moment Sampo heard this, he couldn't help but lean in Dan Heng's direction, his hands still in the air.
"Hey, you can't generalize like that, buddy! Not all Masked Fools are樂子人 (thrill-seekers) with no bottom line. I, Sampo, happen to have a fine reputation in the industry!"
Dan Heng didn't reply. The look in his eyes was no different from how he'd look at an Antimatter Legion footsoldier in the hallway.
Caelus spoke up first, addressing Dan Heng.
"Dan Heng, if you don't trust him, I can make something to restrict his movement."
He had already taken out his crafting table from his backpack, slapped it onto the snow, and was now squatting down, stuffing materials into the grid.
Sampo's eyelid twitched.
He couldn't understand what Caelus was doing, but he was certain of one thing—among these three people, the most dangerous one was the guy who could dox him. A complete stranger who could accurately state the identity he had hidden for over a decade… behind that had to be either an incredibly deep intelligence network or some unheard-of ability. Whichever it was, he had no desire to stick around and find out.
I have to find a chance to run! We can talk later!
A highly cooperative, submissive expression appeared on Sampo's face. His shoulders slumped, and he pointed a woeful finger toward the distant horizon.
"Alright, alright, since it's come to this, I won't hide it anymore. The truth is, I came from Belobog, over there."
March 7th and Dan Heng's attention was drawn in the direction Sampo was pointing.
The very instant their gazes shifted, Sampo's other hand shot into the inner pocket of his coat.
A fist-sized orb was slammed at his feet. Its metal shell cracked on the frozen ground, and a thick, grayish-white smoke burst forth, enveloping a five-meter radius in less than half a second.
Dan Heng reacted with extreme speed, his spear sweeping horizontally to try and pinpoint Sampo's position, but the moment he inhaled the smoke, his pupils dilated. His vision blurred rapidly, his legs went weak, and he fell to one knee. He used his spear to prop himself up for two seconds before finally toppling sideways.
Before his eyes closed, the last thing he saw was Sampo's back, sprinting into the distance.
March 7th didn't last much longer than Dan Heng. The strength in her bowstring vanished completely as she fell backward, landing in the snow with a soft poof.
Sampo sprinted full-tilt, not daring to look back until he was thirty meters away. He finally risked a glance over his shoulder.
The smoke had yet to disperse, but two figures lay motionless on the ground.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Sampo's lips.
Trying to catch me, your granddaddy Sampo? You're a few hundred years too early!
However, at that very moment, he felt a sudden, sharp tug on the back of his collar.
An immense, utterly unreasonable force pulled on him from behind. His feet left the snow, and his entire body flew backward like a fish being reeled in by a rod. The hem of his coat flapped wildly in the wind as he flailed his limbs in the air, completely unable to control his own body.
The moment he twisted his head around, he saw Caelus.
The smoke was already dissipating. Caelus was standing right where he had been, and next to his feet was something that hadn't been there before—a wooden boat, sitting on the snow. It wasn't large, just big enough for two people.
His knockout smoke… it didn't work?!
Sampo had no time to think further. His body was already hurtling toward the wooden boat. He instinctively threw his hands up to shield himself, but the moment his fingers touched the gunwale, his vision flipped, and he found himself sitting securely inside the boat.
Sitting perfectly upright, hands on his knees, back straight as a board.
But he couldn't move.
He wasn't tied up, nor was he locked by some force field. He was just… simply, completely, and utterly unable to move. The only part of him he could control was his upper body.
A baseball bat came to rest on his head.
Sampo's body tensed. He raised his gaze to see Caelus standing by the boat, a smile on his face.
"You're the one who knocked out my teammates, right?"
The bat tapped his head lightly twice. The force wasn't heavy, and the sound wasn't loud, but Sampo's scalp prickled, and a cold sweat broke out on his back. He had seen it clearly just now—among the three of them, Dan Heng had the fastest reflexes, yet even he couldn't withstand his special knockout smoke.
And Caelus was standing there, completely unharmed.
"Uh… actually, I was just about to tell them this stuff is pretty strong, and offer them a hit…"
"Then why did you run?"
"I… don't smoke…"
Thwack!
---o---