Soft and Hard Measures

The sudden burst of cacophonous drumbeats and powerful strumming made the Diviner frown.

"What the hell?"

He walked up to Lin Yu and noticed that the other man's clothes were trembling slightly.

The source of the sound was also there.

An ominous premonition arose in the Diviner's heart. He beckoned with his finger, and then Lin Yu's coat was opened.

A cell phone floated out of Lin Yu's coat pocket.

That phone didn't appear to belong to "Lin Yu".

This is a small mini phone with a light pink exterior.

The reason it was playing music was because a phone call had come in.

The screen displayed "Unknown caller ID," and the green answer button was flashing.

The Diviner hesitated for a moment, then pressed the hang-up button.

But there was no reaction.

No matter whether he touched or dragged it, the red hang-up button was like a decoration, or a beautifully crafted food model in a food display window, without generating any real interaction with him.

This silent attempt seemed to be a warning from an unseen voice to the Diviner...

You must answer it immediately.

The Diviner sighed and pressed the speakerphone button to connect the call.

Hello, who is this?

He asked helplessly.

A mechanical laugh came from the other end of the phone, "Ha, ha, ha... Didn't you expect that?"

"You should at least be able to guess, right?"

Upon hearing the synthesized electronic voice, the Diviner gently rubbed his temples. "It really is you... I Robin it. A 'robin' plus a 'Tier 1' shouldn't have led me to a 'bad' or even 'dangerous' hexagram."

"So this is all your doing... What, you're also interested in the legacy of the 'Psychology Society'?"

Diviner spoke, the person on the other end of the phone laughed again.

"Ha, ha... no, not at all."

"I'm calling because I hope you'll give me the honor of letting the two people with you go."

The Diviner squinted as he heard the noise coming from the loudspeaker.

What if I don't give it to them?

"That doesn't matter, but I will do my best to show my sincerity..."

As the voice on the phone spoke, a series of static noises erupted—as if the signal had been interfered with.

But the crackling sound of electricity soon came not only from the speakers, but also permeated the entire island.

Above the sky, dark green numbers flowed like a waterfall, as if an invisible dome were opening and closing.

The chaotic snowflakes and jumping gibberish covered the ground, causing the Diviner to change his expression slightly.

"[Digital Barrier]... What are you planning to do?"

As he spoke, a cursor appeared out of nowhere in the center of the sky beneath the dome in response.

"RULEONE: ThereisnoDEUS."

One vibrant letter after another appeared, accompanied by an undeniable voice emanating from the phone.

Rule One: High-dimensional beings are prohibited from entering this area.

Then, from a crevice in the island's rocks, a Fuzzball flew out and was discarded beyond the flowing green screen.

Wow!

The voice on the phone rang again. "So, Diviner, wasn't my sincerity commendable?"

"At least until I agree, those Deity, Demigod, and other random things won't bother you."

The Diviner pondered for a moment, then began to move his fingers.

"The 'Night Watcher' girl... um, not her."

"What's your relationship with this kid?"

The voice on the phone chuckled, "It's nothing, I just think highly of him."

"Oh, really...?"

The Diviner pondered for a moment, then said, "Then we absolutely cannot let him live."

As he spoke, he casually tossed his phone into the sea.

The little pink phone drew an arc in the air, but then strangely turned back and flew into the air.

"How rude! But thankfully I have airplane mode!"

A relieved voice came from the phone.

The Diviner's eye twitched. "What kind of flight mode is this?"

"In short, it seems like you won't respond to gentle persuasion and only want to be forced into it?"

The pink phone steered the conversation back on track, speaking with a hint of threat.

"I'm never one to be swayed by either soft or hard tactics," the Diviner said calmly. "Once I've made up my mind, no one can stop me."

"I know you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, you're a 'Hacker,' but you lack 'positive' skills."

"Even if you can prevent the Deity from entering this place and throw away the 'Fragment of Fate,' if I'm prepared to make certain sacrifices, can you really stop me?"

The Diviner countered with a question, followed by silence on the other end of the phone.

"You really hit a nerve. You're so annoying, always bringing up my weaknesses."

"Are you absolutely determined to kill him? Is there no room for negotiation?"

The voice on the phone asked, and the Diviner nodded.

"If you weren't so eager to protect him, I wouldn't have such a strong desire to eliminate him..."

"But then again, your ban on the Deity actually helped me out; this kid seems to be quite 'favored' by the Deity."

The synthesized voice on the phone sighed.

"Of course I know, you idiot, I just don't want him to owe those guys any more favors... It's his own path, he has to choose for himself."

The Diviner scoffed, "But now he only has one path left: death."

"That's not necessarily true."

The voice on the phone said.

"What, you're planning to come in person?" the Diviner sighed. "But even so, it's too late."

"No, it wasn't me. And there's still time."

After he finished speaking, the phone abruptly ended.

The Diviner frowned as he listened to the other person's incoherent last rebuttal.

"Talking nonsense."

He cursed, then tossed his phone aside again, preparing to step forward and end Lin Yu's life.

But the Diviner stopped as soon as he took the first step.

On the one hand, it was because his intuition sensed something was very "dangerous"—as a "Diviner," his "intuition" was part of his abilities, so it was impossible for him to ignore it.

On the other hand...

He didn't hear the phone hit the ground.

The Diviner immediately turned around and saw an unexpected figure that was completely beyond his expectations.

Since becoming a "Diviner," he has rarely encountered "unexpected" situations.

But today, he encountered far too many things.

But all those things combined couldn't compare to the surprise he was about to witness.

The girl in the white practice uniform caught the falling phone steadily on her toes, and with a calm and steady movement, brought the phone to her front and put it in her pocket.

Then, a kind smile appeared on her healthy face.

"Greetings, Diviner."

Although the other person greeted him in a calm tone, he stepped forward with one foot, pushed forward with one hand and pulled back with the other, assuming the starting stance of the Bajiquan (Baji Quan Fist).

The Diviner closed his eyes, his expression slightly pained.

"How could it be you, 'Grandmaster'!"