Chapter 143: Chapter 143 Secret Treasure
"Do you have anywhere you want to go?" Ma Lu asked Boggy.
"Hmm, there actually is one place," Boggy thought for a moment and then casually pointed in a direction.
The two walked toward that direction, and the beasts near the elevator area had mostly been cleared out.
However, you could still see some Hunters, most of them were out hunting beasts in other districts, and some were returning for a rest.
Besides them, they occasionally ran into some municipal workers and volunteers, who all invariably greeted them upon seeing them, and Boggy politely returned the gesture.
Seeing this, Ma Lu said, "If Captain Li could see this scene, he would probably be proud of you, too, although you did not take over the Hunting Group he left behind."
"Oh, I'm not worried about the Harpist," Boggy said with his hands in his pockets, "In fact, I've already stepped out of my father's shadow. Whatever future the Harpist turns into, whether it exists or disappears, it won't affect the glory that Li once achieved.
"And even if one day the world forgets him, I will still remember everything about him. In my heart, he will always be the best Hunter."
"But if it's not about the Harpist, why are you so down?"
"What do you think I'm like as a leader?" Boggy suddenly asked.
"Honest, serious, hardworking, intelligent, responsible towards the Hunting Group, lenient with the members," Ma Lu counted on his fingers, "only a bit too harsh on yourself..."
Boggy shook his head, "I'm not a qualified leader."
Before Ma Lu could say anything else, Boggy cut him off, "You and I both know why I became the leader of Twin Sunflower. What I've always relied on is not my own strength, but your help."
Raising his eyebrows, Ma Lu said, "Do you think that way because of what Guli said to you?"
"Maybe. I don't know why he dislikes me so much. After my father left, he always seemed caring toward me and would... encourage me from time to time. When I was down, I never expected that he actually saw me as a stain on my father's legacy, wanting me to give up being a Hunter."
Kicking a small stone, Boggy said, "But some of the things he said were indeed true. My talents are indeed lacking; I'm not even qualified to be a Hunter."
"When you convinced me to start a Hunting Group with you, I just wanted Chi Qi to be able to stay in the Harpist without worry. I never thought our Hunting Group would get promoted all the way to Diamond Level.
"With my abilities, I'm completely unqualified to lead a Hunting Group, let alone one at Diamond Level."
Taking a deep breath, Boggy said, "To put it plainly, if the person you had encountered in the desert wasn't me but someone else, then that person would now be the leader of Twin Sunflower, the hero who saved the Giant Curtain."
"I don't see it that way," Ma Lu said, "You're the best leader I've ever seen. I mean it; I've been here for a while now and I've seen quite a few leaders.
"Oh, by the way, especially in dangerous situations, you always have a way to calm yourself down and make the right decisions, like when you used Fury Wings to send me signals, apart from..."
"Apart from my Psychic Power, but Psychic Power is what's most important for a Hunter," Boggy said.
"So I want to give you the lead of the group. Your Meat Pigeon is the strongest Psychic Power I've ever seen."
"I can't do it," Ma Lu immediately rejected.
"You only coming once a week is indeed a bit of a hassle, but it's not a big problem. I can handle the Hunting Group's day-to-day affairs when you're not around."
"No, no, no, I was actually planning to tell you that I might not come around as often anymore."
"Hm?" Boggy halted her steps, taken aback.
Ma Lu scratched his head, "The beast tide has ended, and everyone in the Hunting Group is safe and sound. I can rest assured, so I'm thinking of going somewhere else for a change."
"Somewhere else, do you mean other cities?"
"Kind of, but don't worry. I'll come back from time to time to join in the hunts and such."
This news was somewhat sudden for Boggy, and it took her a while to process it.
"Then... I'll let Mai Mai take over as Captain," she said.
Ma Lu scratched his head again, "Don't rush it, do you remember the key to a Secret Treasure that Seta gave me before?"
"You mean that Earth Dragon Tooth?" Boggy didn't understand why Ma Lu was bringing this up all of a sudden.
"You told me that possessing the key would provoke a reaction when near the Secret Treasure. The last time we were in the cave, the key had no reaction, but later when we encountered the Six-armed Ancient Ape, the Earth Dragon Tooth suddenly moved and pointed towards a sand dune."
"You mean, you found that Secret Treasure?" Boggy's eyes widened.
"That's right." As Ma Lu spoke, he produced an unremarkable little pebble from his bosom.
Boggy took the small pebble and examined it but couldn't see how it was any different from any other pebble.
Still, she said, "Then congratulations."
"No need to congratulate me, I can't use this thing," Ma Lu responded.
"Why?"
"Perhaps because I'm a foreigner." As he spoke, Ma Lu glanced at the peculiar item he had just acquired.
—[Wish-Fulfilling Tree]
Designates a teammate to fulfill that teammate's deepest desire (permanent effect) Price: 88888
A peculiar item with a price of 88,888 points was something Ma Lu had never seen before, and it was also of no help to him.
But Ma Lu did not hesitate to bid on it, especially since in the last round he'd fought from start to finish, earning a total of 46,532 points, which, together with the previously remaining over 40,000 points and interest, just about covered the cost for this Wish-Fulfilling Tree.
He had intended to use this peculiar item on Boggy anyway, so that his last concern before leaving this plane would also be gone.
As for the Secret Treasure, that was just an excuse Ma Lu made up, otherwise it would be too complicated to explain. That little pebble was something he had casually picked up on the roadside not long ago.
"I'm giving it to you."
"No, this is too precious." Boggy handed the pebble back to him, but Ma Lu didn't take it.
"Of course, I have my conditions. From now on, I'll take thirty percent of your hunting catches, especially the rare ones. They can be stored in my cold storage. Also, it would be even better if you could catch young offspring of those rare creatures. Ideally, one male and one female, and make sure to keep them alive for me."
Ma Lu said all of this in one breath. After spending so much time together, he absolutely trusted Boggy's character. As long as Boggy agreed, even if he didn't come around often, he would still have someone to hunt for him, especially capturing those ingredients suitable for breeding on the farm.