My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 46: ’Burn You to Ash! Burn You to Ash!

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: ’Burn You to Ash! Burn You to Ash!

"Of course, sir." Leon immediately ran over.

Fang Zhen couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched the obedient boy.

The kid seemed to have made Fang Zhen his idol. He had followed him all the way out here, clamoring to go to the mine with him.

Leon talked nonstop on the way, so Fang Zhen got a good sense of his situation.

Leon only had a younger sister at home. His mother had died from complications during childbirth, and his father, a miner, was unlucky enough to be killed when the Kobolds first seized the mine.

Leon was scraping by in Redstone Town, taking care of his little sister by doing odd jobs and running errands whenever he could. They lived from one meal to the next.

’Kobolds... Hmph. Monsters are monsters. No need to show any mercy when killing them,’ Fang Zhen thought as he looked at Leon, reflecting on the boy’s tragic story.

A moment later, Leon had given half of the small loaf of bread to the crazed mercenary.

Leon trotted back.

"Sir, is there anything else you need me to do?" Leon asked, his bright eyes fixed on Fang Zhen, filled with adoration.

"Take the rest of the bread and go home," Fang Zhen said.

Then, after a moment’s thought, Fang Zhen opened his belt pouch and took out a handful of Copper Coins, about eleven or twelve of them.

"Take these Copper Ropes," Fang Zhen said, holding out the handful of coins to Leon.

Leon was stunned for a moment, then his face turned red.

"Sir, are you treating me like a beggar?"

"I have my arms and legs, and I’m not crazy. I do odd jobs and run errands in town. My father taught me that a man can’t live like a beggar; he has to earn his money through work."

"I’m not a beggar."

Leon’s face was flushed crimson, and tears seemed to well up in his eyes. He looked deeply wronged.

Seeing this, Fang Zhen couldn’t help but smile.

He truly had a good impression of Leon. The boy was polite, hardworking, and kind, and he clearly had a strong sense of pride. He wouldn’t accept a handout.

That kind of integrity was stronger than that of many adults Fang Zhen had met.

Even though Leon was very poor, Fang Zhen didn’t look down on him. On the contrary, he thought the kid was a good person.

"This isn’t charity. It’s payment," Fang Zhen said.

"Payment?" Leon looked surprised, and the redness around his eyes began to fade.

"Yes, I have a job for you," Fang Zhen nodded. "A mercenary in Redstone Town named Rex has developed a grudge against me. I think he might try to do something to disrupt my plans."

"Over the next few days, I want you to keep an eye on Rex whenever you have time and figure out what he’s up to in Redstone Town."

"It’ll be a little dangerous, but Rex wouldn’t dare harm a local within Redstone Town. You don’t need to follow him out of town, just monitor his movements inside it."

"If Rex does anything unusual, tell me when I get back to Redstone Town."

Fang Zhen hadn’t let his guard down; he was still wary of Rex.

He had unintentionally cut off Rex’s source of income, and he knew a man like Rex would probably hate him to the bone for it.

From what Fang Zhen understood of people like Rex, the man would definitely retaliate. It was only a matter of when and how.

Fang Zhen needed to focus his energy on clearing the Redstone Town Mine—that was his main quest. For now, he didn’t have time to deal with Rex, but he wasn’t going to just ignore the threat either.

Firstly, by being vigilant, he wouldn’t easily fall into Rex’s traps. Secondly, Fang Zhen had a feeling that this situation with Rex might be a side quest within the instance, one that could earn him some Merit Points.

By offering the Copper Ropes, Fang Zhen was hiring Leon to be his ’eyes’ and keep a close watch on Rex. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

In return, Leon would get something out of it. At the very least, he’d get the Copper Ropes and bread, so he and his sister wouldn’t have to go hungry.

"Oh, so that’s what this is about. Sir, I’m sorry. I misunderstood you."

"I thought you were looking down on me." Leon was still just a boy, wearing all his emotions on his sleeve. The moment he heard Fang Zhen actually needed him, he looked ready to burst into a smile through his tears. His mood brightened, and he happily accepted the Copper Coins.

"Sir, I’ll definitely keep a close eye on Rex for you! I won’t give him any chance to use his dirty tricks!" Leon said, his spirits clearly lifted.

"Good. The important thing is to act within your limits. Don’t do anything beyond your capabilities, and don’t leave the town," Fang Zhen said.

"Yes, sir!" Leon was full of fighting spirit.

Fang Zhen shook his head slightly, wondering if Leon had actually taken his words to heart.

Suddenly!

The crazed mercenary, who had just received the bread and wolfed it down in a few bites, suddenly charged at Fang Zhen, flailing his arms and legs in a bizarre and terrifying manner.

Leon yelped and jumped back in fright.

Fang Zhen remained calm, merely frowning slightly.

"Don’t go near the Kobold priest! It’ll go WHOOSH... and burn you to ash! To ash! HAHAHAHA, to ash!" The crazed mercenary didn’t attack Fang Zhen, but rushed right up to him, waving his arms and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Hearing this, Fang Zhen felt a jolt of shock.

He felt as if he had vaguely understood something important.

After shouting this, the crazed mercenary alternated between wild laughter and loud sobbing, then turned and left, still waving his limbs about.

’Is this a warning from a madman?’ Fang Zhen wondered thoughtfully.

Leon accepted Fang Zhen’s task and, taking the rest of the bread, went off to monitor Rex’s activities.

Fang Zhen, meanwhile, continued onward.

Geographically, Redstone Town’s southern entrance was located down a slope from the Dark Forest. A single main street passed through the town, leading to the northern exit.

Leaving through the northern gate, according to the map explained by Town Mayor Ande, there was a Y-shaped fork in the road that led to two different places.

The right path of the fork led to another noble’s territory, but the way was blocked by a very narrow mountain pass. For some unknown reason, the noble had dispatched soldiers to seal it off, and no one was allowed through.

The left path at the fork, after about a fifteen-minute walk, led to the Redstone Town Mine.

Fang Zhen walked out of town and soon saw the fork in the dirt path. He chose the path on the left.

The weather was still gray and overcast, with no sun in sight. It seemed the sun rarely appeared in this instance world, and the weather always wavered uncertainly between rain and gloom.

The path was just dirt, surrounded by a sparse forest.

Fang Zhen walked at a steady, unhurried pace, conserving his energy without dawdling. Perhaps because his legs were longer than those of the Redstone Town residents, he reached the mine area in less than ten minutes.

Fang Zhen had arrived at the mine.

The entrance to the mine was at the base of a small, rocky hill. The rock around the opening was exposed, etched with the shallow and deep marks of time.

Not far from the entrance lay a wrecked wooden wheelbarrow. Its body was broken, and the wood, soaked by rain, had come loose, silently attesting to the violence that had once occurred here.

The entrance wasn’t large, only big enough for two or three people to pass through if they stooped. The opening was supported by a wooden frame, but after a month of being untouched, it was now entwined with vines and weeds that concealed the frame, as if nature itself were trying to hide the secrets buried below.

Even on this overcast day, some dim light slanted into the mouth of the cave, illuminating the first few meters. Just inside, one could see small twigs and fallen leaves that had been blown in by the wind. Further in, there was only a profound darkness, like a silent, gaping maw.

Fang Zhen stood about a dozen meters from the mine entrance, his eyes narrowed and sharp, fixed intently on the opening.

Inside was a Dogman Tribe of at least forty members.

That was the large, organized group of enemies Fang Zhen was about to face.

’I wonder,’ he thought, ’with my current strength, can I take them all on?’