Iver's Experiment (Third Update)

Young Sherlock simply sighed, shook his head, and tried to steer the conversation back on track. "And then?"

"I met other people after that, but none of them were friendly."

Hai Na was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply, "That was practically the end of the world..."

"Resources are scarce, and danger lurks everywhere. No one can be trusted; every now and then, our companions go mad or fall ill. Occasionally, the corrupted Shadow Legion roams the wilderness searching for survivors, and sometimes the ground is suddenly corrupted, making previously safe areas unsafe again. We have to abandon the resources we've gathered and escape to a safer place."

"I'm running around like crazy, but I can't even find a priest. I can only use medicines that I don't even know how to use to tide me over... Some of my companions even died under our care. The daughter of the woman who was dismembered by the Demon Scholar."

"That day... no, those few days the atmosphere in the camp was very somber. I only saw three Ascendants the whole time, but they all seemed to be in bad shape, full of vigilance and hostility. I was the only one with civilians; they seemed to have other missions... but we didn't exchange information."

"We fought, but the fight wasn't fatal. It didn't even leave any wounds... That was due to the tacit understanding between the two sides."

"And I also met other people and expanded the team again. Six people became four, then twelve. Finally, it became seven."

Hai Na sighed, "I didn't even see those powerful enemies in the mission. Just surviving was an achievement... A mere Third Level is nothing in the face of a disaster of that scale."

"And the ridiculous thing is, I got first place in points. Because everyone else either died earlier or had fewer points..."

As she said this, a silvery-white light shone in Hai Na's eyes.

Her expression hardened, and she bit her lip: "I must change that unfortunate future—"

"Hey, senior."

Iver suddenly spoke, but his tone was not heavy. "In that future, did you see me?"

"... No, not at all?"

Although she was replying, her tone sounded more like a question.

Hai Na responded quickly, and it wasn't a recollection. Clearly, she herself had had the same question.

"Have you seen Sherlock? And what about Ligeia?" Iver pressed.

"... No, not either."

Hai Na was silent for a moment, then gave a definite answer, "I tried to find Ligeia before, to see if... if I could tell her that I am her student, could she help me take care of those people?"

"But what I've been told is that Meg is already dead. They've never heard of Ligeia —nor have they heard of you. As for Sherlock, some people know him, but they all say you're not here."

"I tried to find Director Kent, but he was already dead; I wanted to find the Bishop, but he wasn't there either. The Lloyd's left Lloyd District and occupied most of the ruined Glass Island... but they weren't the Stibnite Person's lackeys; on the contrary, they played a role in resisting the Stibnite Person and the Shadow invasion to some extent."

"However, I did find Ms. Mina —or rather, she realized I was looking for her and found me. Come to think of it, she's actually Fourth Level prophet!"

Hai Na suddenly remembered this information and quickly told her.

... But looking at the calm expressions of the other three, she guessed that this was probably outdated information.

"Ms. Mina is very kind. Even though she said she didn't know any ' Hai Na,' she was willing to take us in."

She chuckled and continued, "Thanks to her intelligence, we avoided several spreads of the Shadow Curse. She also provided us with lodging and food, which helped me through the most difficult period. Later, when we recovered a bit, we stopped bothering her. However, before leaving, we still prepared enough fuel for her to get through the winter."

"Then the situation is quite obvious, isn't it?"

Iver smiled and said definitively, "The future that the Nine Pillar Gods made you experience couldn't have appeared out of thin air. There must be some basis for it—and according to what you've said, I think it might be 'a future without me'."

"... What do you mean?" Hai Na hadn't reacted yet.

Although she has become much more decisive and efficient in her actions, her mind has become less sharp.

From this perspective, it's highly likely that there's an external brain within the team. She focuses on leveraging her command abilities, neglecting to use her intellect. The mysterious art of the Path of Authority is called "Leadership Technique," and every high-level transcendent being on the Path of Authority can instantly switch into a qualified leader whenever the situation demands it.

"That makes sense."

Sherlock, however, immediately realized. "If you hadn't survived those attacks by the Noble Red... you wouldn't know me. Then I wouldn't have been attacked by Lloyd's's, and thus wouldn't have become acquainted with the Bishop. Hai Na wouldn't have come to deliver the letter to me and met Ms. Mina."

"Similarly... without you, Lloyd's's wouldn't have been destroyed. Miss Lily would have been assassinated, Minister Drost wouldn't have been exposed, and the Stibnite Person's intelligence advantage could have continued until the very end. Moreover, without the ritual you brought, Lady Meg would have died of old age... without anyone to protect Princess would probably have died, or perhaps Lady Yanis would have taken her away."

At this point, Sherlock glanced at Iver with some surprise.

He suddenly realized that Avalon's ability to survive... seemed to be closely related to Iver! So, without Iver, would Avalon ultimately face that apocalyptic despair...?

"Just one person survived, and yet the future has changed so drastically—"

Sherlock muttered to himself, lost in thought.

As if to reward this deduction and contemplation, the power of the Path of Wisdom seeped into his mind, making him much more clear-headed.

"Indeed," Hai Na said, perking up, "because with Iver around, the situation has become completely different—"

As she thought about this, she suddenly realized something. "Those people who fought you before... those Noble Red people, weren't they just the lackeys of the Stibnite Person?"

"Yes."

Iver readily answered.

—Although, strictly speaking, this matter might be a bit complicated. For example, there are many factions within the Noble Red, the two giants are outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, and the Stibnite Person may not necessarily consider them as their own people...

However, explaining this to Hai Na was a bit too much work for her.

Iver gave a straightforward summary. "They are the traitors of Avalon."

"Very good..."

Hai Na gritted her teeth, having a clear goal. "Then when I go back to Glass Island, I'll apply for a transfer—I want to follow the Grand Guardian and wipe out those remnants of the Noble Red!"

"I got a golden Path Trait —I'm really strong now!"

"Very good. But before that, we'd better make some preparations first."

Iver cautioned, "It could be today, it could be tomorrow—it's uncertain which evening the Punishment Demon will return. When he does, he'll surely bring the Noble Red's reinforcements. We have nothing else to do; we can use the whole day to prepare."

Fortunately, the barrier surrounding Eagle Cape Village protected them, allowing them to roughly pinpoint the enemy's arrival time. This at least prevented them from losing the initiative.

This was, after all, a village solidified by Amber herself, and there were only two paths leading out of the village. One path had to be entered at dusk, and the other was through the Fairy Hole —and without a doubt, the Fairy Queen would never allow these aesthetically unappealing demons to pass through.

As for the Book of Law... we can look for that after the enemy is defeated.

"Make some preparations, is it a trap?"

Hai Na asked instinctively.

"I think there are probably no traps that can work on the Punishment Demon."

Iver's lips curled up slightly. "But I did prepare some amazing gadgets for him."

If there's anything to prepare—it's the Great Sin Card used to seal away the Punishment Demon.

Once it loses its ability to resist, Iver can forcibly seal it into the "Wheel of Fortune" card to create the [Equipment Card: Thunder Strike Halberd].

Iver wanted to conduct an experiment.

In the game, equipment cards can't be given to teammates. These equipment cards are for enhancing the Great Sin Beast's status.

But in reality...

Could Haina, who can also control Hai Na, safely wield this Phantom Halberd?

—If possible, could you also share the equipment cards made from other phantoms with your teammates? Update complete!

My body is almost giving out... I'm waking up later and later every day, and my update time is also getting later and later every day...

Fortunately, the third update is almost over. I'll update again tomorrow and prepare to end this period of continuous updates.