Death Notice Book 7: Chapter 60: Avoiding Trouble

Release Date: 2026-05-18 09:22:43

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Since Qin Lun first entered the Shattered Starry Sky, he had been reluctant to interact with other Apostle teams. Although the young man seemed to have many connections and ties with various factions, upon closer analysis, he had only actually engaged with a select few individuals.

He maintained good relations with both the Demon Clan and the Elven Race, but those he truly knew well were only Elf Elder Mafa Moliya and Cunning Demon Elder Beruses. Among the Apostles, the people he dealt with were just the few Serial Killers who had entered the Shattered Starry Sky with him. Even Kelly, the deputy leader of the Lost Team who had given him some guidance before, was essentially just a distant acquaintance.

In truth, only one Apostle team truly bore a death grudge against Qin Lun: the Fink Team, which had suffered a full-team annihilation in Nals World. Of course, Qin Lun had also considered the possibility that either Cora Esmira, the woman who lost her husband, or the beautiful doctor Hu Fei, whom he had thrown into a Zombie horde, might come seeking revenge.

Lili had sent them, the bosses, some news. Besides the intelligence that Lin Feng and Little Lian headed to Tyrant City, she had also mentioned that Hu Fei was still alive.

However, given Cora and Hu Fei’s connections and strength, it was unlikely they could find high-rank Apostles to assist them. Moreover, compared to Qin Lun, Cora surely hated Hansen and Hill more; those two were the real ones who dragged Sas and his wife down. And while Hu Fei held resentment, it was hard to imagine she would have the courage to fight Qin Lun to the bitter end.

Qin Lun quickly ruled out Sky Float. Sky Float didn’t fully grasp his background. Moreover, he had already explained to his recommender, Odo, that he intended to join Sky Float’s newbie team in the next Quest World. Even if Sky Float were desperate for talent, there was no need for such drastic measures, like seizing Frank and the others to wait for him at his home.

Therefore, the enemy waiting for him back at the Villa was almost certainly either the Lost or the Chaos team. Both large teams had reason to trouble him, but Qin Lun personally hoped the high-rank Apostle at his villa was from Chaos, not Lost.

Chaos Team belonged to the Chaotic Evil faction, known for their ruthless and decisive actions, but they’d had no prior conflicts with Qin Lun. Their visit was likely only to pressure him into joining their team. So, Frank and the others should probably be safe for the moment.

If it was Lost Team waiting at the villa, however, that would be the worst possible outcome. After the previous incident with the Invitation Letter, Lost’s top brass surely understood Qin Lun’s personality well. Furthermore, the Lost Team valued internal unity and wouldn’t accept a new recruit who harbored serious psychological resistance towards them.

If they really came knocking, it would probably be to eliminate a potential threat, preventing Qin Lun, this Golden Apostle, from joining an opposing faction and influencing future team wars. In that case, Frank and the other two were likely already dead, leaving no room for negotiation between the two sides.

Realizing this, Qin Lun felt uneasy sitting still. He stood up and walked towards the side of the Teleportation Hall where several public Projectors were located.

“You are… Qin Lun?” The hooded Summoner on the other end of the Projector asked hesitantly.

It had been about half a month since his return from the Metropolis Domination War. Odo had also experienced a Quest World since then and had basically pushed Qin Lun’s matter to the back of his mind. If Odo hadn’t personally lost to Qin Lun before, he might have nearly forgotten the young man’s name.

“Indeed. I’ve finished taking care of my personal affairs. I wish to enter the Quest World by joining the Sky Float newbie team that’s leaving most recently!” Qin Lun watched Odo carefully; the Summoner’s reaction showed no flaw, suggesting Sky Float Team truly wasn’t the one causing him trouble.

“Oh? You haven’t reported to the newbie team yet?” After exchanging a few sentences, Odo finally recalled what Qin Lun had mentioned earlier; his face immediately showed a trace of awkwardness.

“Is there a problem?” Qin Lun’s gaze sharpened, and he asked cautiously.

“Well… the newbie team I lead only just returned from the other dimension. Our next Quest World entry is scheduled for one month later. If you’re in a hurry to enter a Quest World, I’m afraid you’ll have to join one of Sky Float’s other newbie teams instead.” Odo spread his hands helplessly.

“That’s fine. Could you help me check which newbie team is about to enter a Quest World?” Qin Lun asked with a smile on his face.

“No need to check. Sky Float itself has only three core newbie teams. We are Newbie Team Two. Newbie Team One departs in two days, and Newbie Team Three departs in five days!” Odo replied seriously. “How about this? I’ll contact the captain of Newbie Team One and arrange for you to join his team. Their roster isn’t full yet anyway!”

“Oh, with Sky Float being such a large team, do your core newbie teams still have many openings?” Despite the urgency of his situation, Odo’s words piqued Qin Lun’s curiosity.

“Heh, joining the core newbie team of a large faction like ours signifies that the team has exceptionally high hopes for you and intends to invest significant resources. Even with the Apostle resources held by a large team, it can’t support too many core trainees. So every large team’s core newbie team adheres to the principle of ‘rather go short than lower standards’. If you hadn’t beaten me, earning that merit, getting in wouldn’t have been so simple,” Odo explained with a smile.

Actually, Odo omitted another detail: Qin Lun wasn’t officially in Sky Float yet. Qin Lun first needed to pass a task assessment set by the leading captain during the next Quest World. Only after receiving that captain’s approval would he become a true rookie member of Sky Float.

“I see!” Qin Lun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he looked up and asked again, “Then, if we include Sky Float’s peripheral teams, is there any small team departing within the next two hours?”

“Two hours?” Odo frowned, giving Qin Lun a look of surprise and doubt. “Why are you in such a rush? Is it that you can’t suppress the rejection of the Space-Time Law anymore?”

“It’s not solely about the Space-Time Law. I’ve… run into a bit of trouble and want to hide in an alternate world to avoid it!” Qin Lun sighed, saying it almost carelessly.

“Hah! I see! Alright then, let me help you check the departure times of those peripheral teams. I’ll try to find a more capable small team for you!” A knowing smile dawned on Odo’s face, his expression clearly pleased with Qin Lun’s candidness. He didn’t even bother asking what trouble the young man was facing.

Sky Float wasn’t a small team; they weren’t afraid of trouble. What they truly feared was adding new blood that lacked strength or loyalty to the team. In truth, any Apostle worth their salt had a past that wasn’t spotless.

Why did Apostles form teams anyway? Wasn’t it because, as their strength grew and their grudges multiplied, they found troubles within both Quest Worlds and the Shattered Starry Sky that were impossible to handle alone? Team up! That’s why they banded together.

Furthermore, Qin Lun was merely a Novice Apostle. His troubles, no matter what they were, were insignificant to a behemoth like Sky Float. Don’t be misled just because Sky Float belonged to the Apostle Monument neutral faction. Their conflicts with forces from the Chaotic faction and the Lawful faction were fierce and frequent. Large-scale Apostle wars among these three powers erupted often within the Quest Worlds.

The Devil’s Horn, housing tens of thousands of Apostles, was essentially a massive powder keg filled with explosives. Only its mature management system had prevented that keg from blowing up so far. Look at the fallen Apostle City of Atlantis. Why did their Apostle legions erupt in internal strife? Did those High-Rank Apostles fail to grasp the importance of unity?

Of course, they knew! Unity wasn’t just understood by High-Rank Apostles; even a Novice Professional Apostle quickly grasped that principle. The issue lay in the defective Apostle system of Atlantis City. It acted like a spark landing on that powder keg, ultimately igniting a catastrophic internal war that buried the entire Apostle City.

“There are two peripheral teams leaving today. One departs this afternoon, and the other… has already headed to the Teleportation Hall. They’ll enter their Quest World within the hour!” Odo considered the information relayed to him, speaking with noticeable hesitation. “However… it would be wiser if you joined the team leaving this afternoon.”

“Why?” Qin Lun’s gaze sharpened and he pressed immediately.

“Because I heard the team already moving has… internal instability. They formed their team relatively recently, and their original Leader died in the last Quest World. Right now, leadership within the team is hotly contested!” Odo explained, his brow furrowing. “You are a prospective recruit for Sky Float, a step above them. You don’t need to subject yourself to that kind of environment.”

“No problem. Since it’s temporary, please help me connect with this team,” Qin Lun replied with an unconcerned wave of his hand.

“Think it over again!” Odo’s eyes flickered subtly. He finally decided to give Qin Lun a caution; after all, he still owed the young man a favor over the Adis Short Staff incident. “Newcomers joining Sky Float must undergo a task assessment during their first mission, arranged by their assigned captain. If you undertake that assessment within an unstable peripheral team… the difficulty will likely be much higher!”

“Oh? Is that it?” Something clicked in Qin Lun’s mind, and he quickly smiled. “I have full confidence in myself. I believe I can pass the newbie assessment regardless, even if it’s within such a peripheral team.”

Oddly, the more Odo tried to dissuade him, the more it actually suited Qin Lun. He hadn’t genuinely intended to join Sky Float permanently anyway; retaining control of the initiative was infinitely preferable.

If his current troubles required Sky Float’s shelter, he could temporarily join them. If they didn’t require it, he would collaborate with the Serial Killers to resolve the problem expediently. Then, he could simply tell Odo he failed the assessment and leave Sky Float.

“Very well. Take care,” Odo said, giving Qin Lun one final, meaningful glance, before switching off the Projector.

The Summoner wasn’t a fool. During their exchange, he had sensed something off about Qin Lun – perhaps the youth wasn’t genuinely committed to joining Sky Float, merely needing temporary sanctuary. But this wasn’t a major problem. Many Apostates joined large teams for precisely this reason. As long as they followed the rules afterward, no one probed too deeply into their motivations. Large teams like Sky Float inevitably had factions, but they also boasted mature systems designed to bind all members together.

After closing the Projector, Qin Lun noticed one of his collar buttons was gleaming. This was a Soul field generator issued to Apostles by the Devil’s Horn. It enabled communication across different races and facilitated simple signal messaging. Right now, it displayed a projection ID: Disciple Hansen’s. It seemed Rand had located them.

“Qin Lun! Run into trouble?” Qin Lun dialed the public Projector. Soon, the stoic face of Disciple Hansen appeared on the other end. “Require our assistance? Hill and I haven’t looked for extra work lately… it’s been a tad dull.”

“Even adding your strength might not guarantee a resolution. Most likely, we have to lie low!” Qin Lun sighed, his tone resigned. “But regardless, I need you two to help me with two things right away…”

«Volume 7 Chapter 59: Figure

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