Though the port guards had not yet ascended the hill, if Dice Kortes failed to return soon, they would inevitably dispatch search parties here before long. At this moment, Kerry understood clearly that his organization had gravely misjudged the strength of Tutuga Port. The support personnel they had pre-arranged and the hiding spots they had secured were now scattered and decimated. His own situation was particularly precarious; even without injury, he stood a high chance of capture. Having stumbled upon such a foolishly righteous big spender, how could he possibly let him go?

Fang Senyan turned back when he heard the shout, frowning:

“What else do you want?”

Kerry’s face crumpled in misery:

“Respected Yan, look at me now—how can I escape? Leaving me here is just sentencing me to death. You might as well not have saved me at all.”

Fang Senyan shrugged:

“From the sound of it, you people must belong to some organization. Can’t you have your comrades come save you?”

Kerry shook his head and sighed:

“They must have already boarded and left by now. Boss Nick’s ship can submerge underwater, evading detection by the islanders... Ah, if this were a day earlier, they definitely would have bothered about me, but now I can’t be of much use, so they’ve surely abandoned me.”

The corner of Fang Senyan’s mouth lifted slightly:

“I already saved you once, didn't I? More importantly, saving you wasn't my main objective. I wouldn't have intervened unless I was certain I could handle that port guard. Right now, the entire Tutuga Port is under a massive sweep. If I help you, I might just bring trouble down on my own head—give me a reason to do so, why don’t you?”

Fang Senyan’s reasoning was perfectly logical. If he had agreed too readily, Kerry might have become suspicious instead. With bluntness, he stated:

“You must be alone, right? I can introduce you to our organization!”

The vague sense of doubt that had been swirling in Fang Senyan’s heart suddenly surged forward, as if only a thin membrane separated it from being pierced. He deliberately adopted a tone of disdain:

“Join your organization? If your organization were reliable, why would you need my help right now?”

Kerry’s face flushed instantly, but he replied very seriously:

“Mr. Yan, you must understand, the strength of a team is something an individual can never match. In a treacherous and bizarre place like the Nightmare World, individual power is too insignificant. Only a team can give us a greater chance of survival. As for this time, it was just an accident. If Waka hadn't triggered the hidden mission and raised the difficulty, I believe I would already be sipping premium caviar atop the Burj Al Arab in the real world.”

Fang Senyan let out a cold laugh:

“More people means a thinner slice of the profit. Moreover, the Nightmare World is notoriously stingy. Without taking enormous risks, there will never be rich rewards. If many people come to share one cake, how much will actually reach your mouth? In every world I experience, I manage to snag at least one or two pieces of equipment, but what about you, Mr. Kerry? Furthermore, I don't believe in absolute fairness within a team! The one taking the lion’s share is probably Boss Nick you mentioned.”

Kerry vehemently countered:

“That’s right, I admit what you say has merit, but if you let that overshadow the power of a team because of this, you’ll lose sight of the bigger picture! Before joining a team, my mission completion rating and evaluation after each world ended were always below 50%! The free attribute points I received were invariably only one point, and the rewarded Potential Points/Universal Points were pitifully few. But after joining a team, although the share of loot income drastically decreases, the scene exploration rate and mission completion evaluations leap forward significantly! The difficulty of completing tasks is also reduced due to the sheer number of hands, and the extra Universal Points gained have increased severalfold. And if I manage to return alive this time, I might get an extra reward of 2000 or more Universal Points! Tell me, isn't joining a team worth it?”

Hearing Kerry’s words, a flash of lightning seemed to strike Fang Senyan’s mind, instantly tearing open the veiled fog! Back when he finished the Terminator world, he already harbored doubts: his mission completion rate was only 53%! Keep in mind, Fang Senyan had given everything he had to take down those two terrifying Terminator T-750s; another person couldn't have done better! Such performance only earned a 53% completion rating... Putting it on a hundred-point scale, it hadn't even passed the minimum passing line! In other words, what kind of performance would it take to achieve a 100% evaluation? At the time, he had racked his brains but could never figure it out. Now, it seemed the answer lay in those two words.

“Team!”

“This damned space encourages the formation of teams, encourages Contractors to band together!”

“If I had truly allied with that deadbeat Quest back then.”

“If I could have joined forces with that bearded guy when I first entered the world... cooperated sincerely with them...”

Two thoughts flashed through Fang Senyan’s mind like electric sparks, leading him to a firm conclusion: he could indeed have accomplished more! But, but! The risks he would have taken would have multiplied exponentially. Handing his back to those two scoundrels? And then having to split the spoils gained from risking his life on the front lines with them... Dream on!

Another question crossed his mind: If the Potential Points and Universal Points for passing the evaluation are determined by the mission completion rate/and evaluation, what determines the base attribute points awarded?

Seeing Fang Senyan’s contemplative expression, Kerry assumed he had been persuaded and continued his pitch:

“Yes, new members have to hand over 50% of the Universal Points and 50% of the Potential Points they earn, but the risk you take is drastically reduced, and the return isn't worse than going solo. Moreover, if you contribute significantly, you can increase your clearance level. For instance, I no longer have to hand over Universal Points, and since I contributed heavily to the castle attack process this time, if I return alive, I can even share in the dividends, gaining the Universal Points handed over by lower-ranking members. With your powerful melee skills, you can perfectly fill the void left by Kaldes’s death! Believe me, C.E.N.!”

Fang Senyan hesitated, lowering his head:

“How do I know if you’re telling the truth or lying?”

Kerry rushed to assure him:

“How could it be a lie! Do you think one person could cause the explosion at the castle? There’s a huge secret hidden there, and treasure too!”

Fang Senyan’s eyes locked onto Kerry’s face.

“Treasure?”

Kerry nodded earnestly:

“Alright, if you agree to save me, besides introducing you to the Tri-Party, I can also give you a piece of extremely valuable intelligence. This intelligence can unlock a hidden mission with a B-rank difficulty for you!”

Fang Senyan still wouldn't nod.

Kerry gritted his teeth and pulled out a gleaming, yellowish bullet:

“You win! I’ll add this too!”

Fang Senyan immediately received information about this item:

Exquisite 7.62mm Bullet (Condition: Very Good) Origin: Springfield Armory, Ohio, USA Equipment Rarity: Light Blue When loaded into a firearm: Increases the next ranged attack damage by 30 points. Use (Requires proximity to an ignition source): Instantly deducts 10 Health from the user, but removes bleeding and stun effects from the user. Rating: I hope our country loves us as much as we love it. Combat Power Score: 5

Fang Senyan stared at Kerry for a moment, then extended his hand:

“Deal.”

At this moment, the port guards ended their pursuit, having made a catch, and were returning triumphantly with one person captured. They likely noticed Dice Kortes’s disappearance and were preparing to send a search party up the slope. Fang Senyan glanced at the unlucky fellow caught in the distance:

“What if he rats you out?”

Kerry looked surprised:

“Don’t you know that leaking information about the Organization to ordinary world natives results in severe punishment? It’s just like using Nightmare Space abilities in the real world; the penalties are incredibly harsh. Trust me, you don't want to know what kind of punishment. H, HIT, those bastards are starting to move this way, Yan! Don’t forget what you promised me!”

Fang Senyan said flatly:

“Of course I remember. Let’s go, we’ll circle around that slope over there and head back to the port docks first.”

Kerry was startled:

“God, what are you planning?”

Fang Senyan asked curiously:

“Don’t you have a main quest to find some kind of job before this afternoon?”

Kerry shrugged:

“Of course, but sadly, after all our scheming, we could only persuade Captain Hook, that obscure fellow, to take us in. But his damn tub can barely hold ten people! He even demanded an embarkation fee. So, Captain Hook’s corpse is probably already washing hundreds of nautical miles away by now.”

Fang Senyan nodded:

“My other identity is a sailor aboard The Bell and the Cup. Since I took care of that ship’s second mate, the respected Captain Armand will probably announce my appointment to take his place when we return.”

Kerry’s eyes widened immediately, and he swallowed hard:

“Armand? That Armand?”

Fang Senyan replied calmly:

“Precisely that Armand, the future King of the Black Sea among the Seven Pirate Kings.”

......................

After reading this chapter, hmm? Have some of the earlier doubts been partially resolved? Heh heh.

Alright, let’s interact with you all a bit more. Which movie does the exquisite bullet mentioned in this chapter come from? This is likely something only seasoned film buffs can answer. Heh heh, same old rule: see you in the review section, participation comes with prizes.

(To be continued. To read the latest chapters, please visit:.)