However...

Where exactly is this Decay Bead hidden, and why is it not buried here, instead of the Decay Bead, there’s just a withered tree trunk?

Su Ran refused to believe in evil and continued to dig deeper, but before he could scratch another two clawfuls, ripples of water flow from above caught his attention.

"No good, why has this woman come down!"

Seeing the elven queen swimming towards him, Su Ran cursed his luck inwardly. He knew that the anomaly at the Holy Spring had drawn the elven queen’s concern, and it would indeed be strange if she didn’t come down to investigate!

After all, the Holy Spring was the elves’ sacred fountain, which could not be jeopardized!

"Oh man, why is this woman putting on a deathly face? I haven’t even offended her..."

As Su Ran said this, he himself was lacking confidence. However, since it had already come to this, every second counted. Thus, before the elven queen could arrive, Su Ran hurriedly sifted through the mud beneath his feet, hoping to find the Decay Bead at the last moment.

But.

Even until the end, Su Ran’s wish was unfulfilled. The elven queen caught his right arm, and only then did he stop reluctantly, feigning surprise, "Huh? Your Majesty, when did you come down?"

The elven queen nearly suffocated with indignation.

However, she knew now was not the time for questioning. The elven queen, holding back the anger in her heart, regardless of whether Su Ran was willing or not, dragged him up from the water and threw him towards the shore.

"Splash"

Su Ran was flung onto the ground, resulting in a scene akin to a dog eating mud.

"Ptui ptui ptui."

Su Ran spat out the mud that had filled his mouth, wiped his face vigorously, and then complained, "Your Majesty, I’m a benefactor to your elven race, after all. Was there really a need to be so rough?"

"Rough?"

The fury in the elven queen’s eyes almost turned physical as she gritted her teeth and scolded Su Ran, "I wish I could slaughter you right now!"

"Oh lord, you’re scaring me to death. With that tone, did I do something wrong? In any case, you should at least explain where I erred, right? Even if I die, I should die knowing, don’t you think?"

Su Ran put on an utterly disheartened expression and said in a low voice, not even mentioning the injustice he felt in his eyes.

"You still have the nerve to talk!"

The elven queen was nearly infuriated to illness by Su Ran, her chest rising and falling dramatically. Once she had calmed down, she pointed at the now-clear Holy Spring and said with loathing, "Look at the mess you’ve made! Does this resemble a Holy Spring anymore? For this crime alone, you deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

"It’s a false accusation!"

Su Ran glanced at the crystal-clear Holy Spring, barely suppressing a laugh, and managed to keep his expression solemn, "I was just digging in the mud down there. I hadn’t gained any benefits before you brought me out, Your Majesty, and now I’m misunderstood. How can ’wronged’ begin to cover it?"

"Stop quibbling!"

The elven queen realized this Undead’s thick-skinned nature had reached a certain level; reasoning with him was like playing the lute to a cow.

"My lord, hear me out before making a decision—it’s not too late. Although it’s true that I’m the only skeleton here in the Holy Spring, do I really have such immense power?"

Su Ran hurriedly defended himself for fear of inciting the wrath of the Elf Queen, "Respected Queen, I swear by the Supreme Rules that this was not my intention. If it had been my doing, may I be stricken by lightning immediately!"

Swearing always works on NPCs!

But then again, what good is an oath? This time it genuinely wasn’t my intention. Faced with such an unexpected situation, even I am bewildered, not having had the time to thoroughly investigate the cause. Besides, it’s that segment of the withered tree trunk that caused the anomaly, not me. As long as the primary and secondary roles are clear, why would the system rules make things difficult for me?

"Supreme Rules?"

The Elf Queen looked at Su Ran with surprise, not expecting this youngster to dare make the highest oath. Could she have wrongly accused him?

But in the Holy Spring, if it wasn’t this sole skeleton who did it, who else could it be?

For a moment, the Elf Queen was plunged into confusion.

"Your Majesty, could it be that the mud reacted with the Holy Spring, leading to this disaster?"

Su Ran led the Elf Queen’s thoughts astray, noticing her contemplative expression, then he continued, "I think it’s very likely that once the mud completely disperses, the Holy Spring will return to its original state..."

As he spoke nonsense, even Su Ran began to feel doubtful, his voice unconsciously getting softer.

"Regardless, with such a catastrophe befalling the Holy Spring, you cannot escape involvement!"

The Elf Queen looked at the Holy Spring with a worried expression, but the sight she beheld next left her completely dumbfounded.

She saw a figure swimming back and forth in the water, topped with a bright green hat, which was particularly eye-catching against the water, allowing the Elf Queen to immediately lock onto it.

Noticing the Elf Queen’s unusual behavior, Su Ran followed her gaze towards the Holy Spring. But when he saw that familiar color, his expression became awkward.

Wahaha, Green-Hatted Player, how timely of you to appear, my kin!!!

"Your Majesty, now do you see that you have misunderstood me?"

Su Ran quickly clarified his position, eagerly shifting the blame onto the Green-Hatted Player in the water, "I can’t quite understand it—without your consent, not even the God Race can enter this Holy Spring, so how did this human appear here?"

Su Ran’s words were like a harsh slap to the Elf Queen’s face, leaving her complexion shifting between red and white, quite the spectacle.

All of a sudden, the Elf Queen let out a piercing scream, venting the fury in her heart, and before the scream had even faded, she plunged into the Holy Spring to pursue the detestable human.

"Sigh, she’s ultimately an NPC; they always howl before attacking, as if afraid the enemy won’t hear them. So stupid."

Su Ran pulled out a blade of cemetery grass, chewing on it as if it were a snack, excitedly watching the commotion unfold. A hint of curiosity arose in his heart, wondering why he always encountered this Green-Hatted Player in terrains with ancient beads. This lad was bold enough to barge into closed-off hidden terrains.

"Damn, how did I attract the BOSS? The BOSS’s aggro range is way too far, isn’t it?!"

At this time, the Green-Hatted Player was earnestly searching for something underwater when he heard a scream from above. He looked up only to discover the Elf Queen charging toward him, seething with anger.

"What rotten luck, to encounter such trouble just as I arrive. Can’t a person play in peace?"

From beginning to end, the Green-Hatted Player had no idea how he had managed to offend such a powerful Elf, franticly fleeing in all directions, in a complete fluster.