ATAPOW Chapter 53
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Chapter 53: Honor
“Ring, ring, ring…” From within the car, a crisp, pleasant sound shattered the deathly silence that permeated the few individuals. Ji Bai refocused his eyes once more, he aimed them at Lin Tuo, who had answered and was talking to whoever was on the other side of his phone.
“…Alright, I got it. Just give us full authority over this situation. I’m certain.” Lin Tuo hung up the phone and opened the door to get out of the car.
“A knight advance party already scouted the target site. Everyone from the First Tomato Class, make your preparations. If there are no surprises, your first battle is about to begin soon,” After placing his phone into his pocket, Lin Tuo said this to the five people on the scene with a somewhat grave expression.
“Where?” Without saying anything unneeded, Ji Bai stood up with a long-sword and stared at Lin Tuo with a searing gaze.
“Relax, your hastiness will just ruin everything. Everyone, take out your phones and search for an app called ‘Under the Night Sky’. I’ll send your account number to you.”
Everyone on the scene whipped out their handphone after hearing his words and opened up g*ogle with ease, with the exemption of Ji Bai. He was standing at his original spot while looking at Lin Tuo with a meaningful gaze.
“I know you’re anxious… but if you don’t download the app, I can’t give you the exact navigation route.” Lin Tuo shrugged in a helpless manner.
“I don’t have the mobile data nor the money to pay for it,” Ji Bai said expressionlessly.
“Alright, alright. I’ll open a hotspot for you.” Lin Tuo puckered his mouth and turned on his phone with a tap.
After Ji Bai conducted a series of tweaks and confirmed that the exact position of the map had been uploaded to his App, he turned around while carrying his long sword and left.
“Eh? Wait a moment student Ji Bai!”
“What’s there to wait? Do you think we have the leisure to do that right now? There is no time for us to dawdle about,” Ji Bai coldly responded.
“Sigh. Have you forgotten that all of you are a team? Of course, you’re going to work together. Operating as a team is much better than going at it alone,” Lin Tuo went up to him and explained.
“I think there’s no need for that.” Ji Bai apathetically scanned his classmates. When he glanced at Lil’Sha, he found that she was still trying to pull a face at him. After noticing that he was glaring at her, she immediately went and hid behind Lin’s thigh. “The best assistance you can give me is to patiently wait here. I’ll cut those demons into mincemeat.”
A team was something he had never needed.
“You might cost Ke’er her life if you head in there alone,” Lin coldly stated the facts with her arms around her chest.
“Say, student Ji Bai, I’m wondering if you misunderstood something. The purpose of our trip is to rescue a hostage, not unleash a massacre. Don’t forget that Ke’er is still in their hands. Even if you have a heaven-defying ability, do you think you would be able to rescue Ke’er before the trolls can make their move?” Lin Tuo’s tone was filled with solemness and an indistinct trace of criticism.
“…Then, will a solution reveal itself if I stay by your side?” Ji Bai looked at Lin Tuo and his classmates and let out a chuckle.
He felt that his sanity hadn’t degraded to the point where he wouldn’t take any precautions against demons. Even if they were classmates in name.
“Certainly. A solitary idea will never be as good as a group discussion. The rough idea is already in my brain. I already uploaded a precise 3D diagram of the building the trolls are occupying to the app.”
Ji Bai raised his eyebrows. When he opened the alert notification in the group, a rough 3d model structure made up of various types of lines appeared before everyone’s eyes.
The directions and the building structure were so detailed that it gave Ji Bai a faint shock. Frankly, even his previous Chivalric Order didn’t have recon knights that possessed such otherworldly sensory abilities.
“Firstly, the target is being held on the third floor and is guarded by several hostiles. Yet, they have held off on touching her as if they are waiting for something. In that case, we should just beat them at their own game…”
“And directly charge into the building.” Ji Bai had an icy-cold gaze as he stood still with his long sword.
“Tch, what a vulgar barbarian.” Lin disdainfully rolled her eyes.
“Student Ji Bai, is your ancestral homeland actually the Soviet Union1? What will you do if your rash actions drive the trolls into doing something desperate? Missions like these can’t be brute-forced; rather, one can only outwit their enemies. However, too many people are also a bad thing as it can stir up a disturbance.” Calmly taking out a cigarette from his pocket, Lin Tuo lit it up and took a deep puff from it.
“So, do you have a plan then?”
“That’s right. I have roughly formulated a plan. We will dispatch a student to negotiate with them and also grab their attention. Then, the rescue team hiding in the darkness will rescue Ke’er with one fell swoop.
“That’s too vague, isn’t it? How will we be able to catch them off guard?” Ji Bai sized Lin Tuo from top to bottom. He had a nagging feeling that this unreliable fool was currently spewing hot air out of his mouth.
Lin Tuo didn’t say a word and directed his smiling eyes towards a certain cat behind Lin.
“Lil’Sha, you’re considered the oldest student in our school, right?… The characteristic of your magic allows you to switch locations with yourself or a target, right?”
“That’s indeed the case… But it’s only close range! And it can’t really work that far!” Lil’ Sha swallowed a mouthful of saliva as she cautiously popped her head out. When she noticed Lin Tuo’s grinning expression, she had a feeling that she was going to be unjustly implicated in something.
“Well, it doesn’t need to be that far too. It’s possible for you to switch positions with Ke’er, right? An ability like ‘displacement’ should have quite the large range, doesn’t it?”
“Awawawa! Please don’t joke around! If I were to use displacement to rescue the other cat, I’ll be doomed instead! These are trolls we’re talking about, trolls! Nyaa!” Lil’ Sha withdrew her head with a ‘wa’ noise.
“Isn’t there a five-second spatial disruption that grants you immunity against any form of physical impact?”
“It’s only 5 seconds nyaa! After 5 seconds, I’ll turn into troll-chow nonetheless! There’s no way in h*ll, you’re gonna make me go near a troll…” Lil’ Sha clutched onto Lin’s thigh. She was unwilling to do it no matter what Lin Tuo said.
“This will certainly be tough.” Lin Tuo scratched his head in a somewhat vexed manner. If Lil’ Sha backed out because of her fears, this plan would have already lost half its chance of success. After Ji Bai fixed his eyes on Lil’ Sha, he didn’t say anything and slowly walked towards her.
Lin slightly knitted her eyebrows when she saw Ji Bai expressionlessly coming towards her. Surprisingly, however, she didn’t do anything to stop him.
“Y-Y-You… What the heck are you doing! Don’t come closer! You can’t exchange an innocent cat for another just because of your personal attachments and the enmity between us! Help Sister Lin! This obscene middle-aged man is going to lay his hands on me!”
“Are you really unwilling to do it?” Ji Bai squatted down, his calm eyes were now at the same level as Lil’ Sha’s.
“Who would want to do it!?”
“If you’re willing to join, then I, Ji Bai, will vouch with my life and my reputation as a knight, that you’ll be alright.” Ji Bai swore as he placed his hand on his chest.
Lil’ Sha was slightly swayed as she saw Ji Bai’s sincere and somewhat begging gaze. However, that only destabilized her for a while.
“A vouch like that is basically unhonourable, to begin with! This is a troll we’re talking about… A completely unreasonable demon that’s famed for their diabolical nature… I, I don’t dare to…” As if she had recalled some sort of unpleasant memory, Lil’ Sha’s gloomy voice carried a trace of sobbing in it. Huo Lei, who heard her describe his own race in the corner, lowered its head.
“Is that so? Alright.” Ji Bai stood up and placed the sword on his shoulder.
“You guys just observe on the sidelines. I’ll go alone.”
“…Hey, are you really confident of your chances, old man? To possibly risk your life for someone from the demon race that you’ve been with for just a couple of days. Do you really think it’s worth it? ”
“I’m not helping a demon. It’s a knight’s honor to protect a weak and innocent person. This is a responsibility I cannot relinquish,” Ji Bai wiped his sword as he said this with a resolute gaze.
Huo Lei raised his head while an indiscernible admiration flashed past his eyes. Lin looked at Ji Bai with a lifely glow in hers. Lin Tuo, on the other hand, only revealed a faint smile.
“Tch. He only knows how to spout flowery words…” Lil’ Sha cast her head aside and softly mumbled to herself.
“Are you sure you’re fine? Rather than have this puny board go, why not I go instead? It wouldn’t be worthwhile if we have to throw in a life as well. After all, since the enemy and I are trolls; They would probably listen to a few words of mine,” Huo Lei, who had been silent throughout this entire time, opened his mouth and spoke up. He was just about to step forward before Lin barred his way.
“Let Ji Bai go. He can do it.” This was the very first time Lin didn’t refer Ji Bai to as a cockroach.