Chapter 152
The players looked away, neither confirming nor denying. Everyone was there to enjoy the resources, and had no obligation to flatter.
"Alright, you guys go to my older brother's place. Send someone else to find Adam. This is a critical time; we can't let him do whatever he wants." Hongzheng waved his hand, too lazy to argue anymore.
The group looked at each other. Joining the battle wasn't a problem, since the spoils would be split 50/50. But finding Adam was troublesome; that madman might not listen to them.
Go!
The players gradually dispersed, preparing to join the battle, when they noticed the door being gently pushed open, and they turned their heads in unison.
The Red Lips Restaurant had been booked out; there were no other people around, only two people standing at the entrance.
Behind them was a person dressed in motorcycle gear, completely covered up, who appeared to be a woman. In front of them was a blond boy whose clothes looked somewhat familiar.
Wait, isn't that the uniform of the Advanced Nurturing High School? Hey, isn't that one of the key figures?
The missions are different, but the information is shared. Some players even thought he had come to the wrong place, saying that if they wanted to talk business, they should go to Lord Yellow Light's place.
Wow, there are quite a few people here.
Yuki also saw the eight players in the hall. This location was provided by Kaguya, since she knew best where the Shinomiya Clan had assets nearby, and the senior was nearby, but even Yuki couldn't see her.
There were no sentries, no guards, and the defenses were very lax, but that was normal considering their mission.
The target they were tracking was too busy escaping to turn around and come to the command post. Without Kaguya's intelligence and her special abilities, they wouldn't be able to find it in a short time.
Yuki instantly memorized the characteristics of the eight people, ignored the short-haired woman in a sports vest who tried to stop him, and walked inside.
"Nagumo Miyabi? How did you find your way here?" Shinomiya Hongzheng suddenly perked up; he knew this person was important.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the two members were killed in a fight with his subordinates.
"I've come to clear up the misunderstanding. The deaths of Armless and Smoker have nothing to do with us." Yuki said sincerely, and before anyone could ask, he continued, "Shinomiya Oko is being closely watched by my enemies, and I have no opportunity to contact him. It's the same if I relay the message through you."
He still didn't say how he found them, but he threw out an extremely tempting bait that matched Zhou's investigation about how 'the academy is not a monolithic entity'.
Is he panicking because of the approaching army? If he could win them over, it would be much easier for his brother to control the academy.
Hongzheng having many thoughts running through her mind, ignoring the glances from her subordinates beside her.
Of course, I should report this to my elder brother, but don't let it stop me from getting some credit.
His thinking was simple: if he could resolve the matter and clear up the misunderstanding, even if he only obtained some inside information, he would still be appreciated. He straightened his back without thinking.
"Speak, what do you want me to convey?"
"Tell Shinomiya Oko that I have no intention of starting a war with you." Yuki stepped forward, glanced at the players scattered throughout the hall, and smiled gently, "But before that, I need an explanation."
"What do you mean?" Hongzheng blinked, sensing that this person was aggressive and looked like he had suffered a great injustice.
Yuki continued forward, his smile obsequious, but his tone became more forceful. "Why did you send people to hunt me down? Is Daylight's method to eliminate me without even giving me a chance to explain?"
When did I ever chase you down? My older brother won't even let me touch any of the academy's missions.
Shinomiya Hongzheng was instantly dumbfounded. The academy's affairs had nothing to do with him, but he wasn't stupid. He immediately realized that he was actually chasing a group of players.
"Wait a minute, how did you get involved with Kaguya?"
"Kaguya Shinomiya? I did see her a few months ago, but what does she have to do with the players?" Yuki looked blankly at the equally bewildered players. "I finally got out of school just to talk to you guys, and now I've been chased around like this."
Huh? Just because of this?
Okay, there is indeed a connection, and the prediction wasn't wrong; it's still as unreliable as ever.
"Then why did you kill our people without even asking them?" Attendant nearby questioned.
"Nonsense, if you were being chased by players, wouldn't you fight back? Besides, they're already prepared for battle; they don't look like they want to negotiate at all." Yuki's words silenced the other person, then he looked at the seated youth:
"None of your business how I got here. If you continue to play dumb, I don't mind catching you and taking you to talk to Shinomiya Oko."
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. One of the players near the door had quietly left, presumably to report the news.
Shinomiya Hongzheng did not stop them, but glanced at the two of them and pinched his chin with a suspicious look on his face.
Is it really that much of a coincidence?
Because they had previously been in contact with Kaguya, the Causal Prophecy was linked to them. Because they were to be dragged into a random mission for interrogation, the pursuers' Transcendental Grade powers were poised to be unleashed, and to outsiders, they certainly looked like they were ready for battle.
Hongzheng was searching for the logical chain when she saw the blond youth walk to the middle of the hall and was thinking about his words. Suddenly, she felt a surge of irritation.
Does this bastard even know the situation? He dares to be so aggressive on my turf?
Stay calm. He seems indifferent; we can't afford to ruin things.
I kept reminding myself, but the veins on the back of my hand gripping the handrail were bulging, and I felt my reason being devoured by madness.
"Something's not right. This person must be doing this on purpose. What is he trying to do?"
With normal intelligence, he had already noticed something was wrong and was speculating about the cause when his subordinate couldn't stand it any longer. A young girl raised her arm, lightning crackling at her fingertips.
I don't know why, but this person is really annoying and deserves to be killed.
Bang--
Arcs of electricity flashed, blasting a shallow crater into the ground and causing the magnificent crystal chandelier to sway back and forth.
Yuki, who was prepared, retreated and dodged. He did not retaliate immediately, but quickly scanned each player with his eyes. Only when he saw the madness in their eyes did he feel at ease.
[Conceptual Craft Essence. Activated, the enemy is going berserk]
The effects of the costume will decrease as the enemy's strength increases. Yuki uses this to measure the strength of these players, and if anyone can maintain their sanity, he will leave on the spot.
Is Shinomiya Hongzheng the only one who can barely put up a fight?
He glanced at Shinomiya Hongzheng, who was half-standing up, trying to stop his subordinate; out of the corner of his eye, he saw the player who had quietly left earlier return, clearly startled by the noise and coming back to check the situation.
That's enough. I'll pin the blame on you.
"Shinomiya Hongzheng, are you trying to kill me to cover up your mistake?" Yuki roared in grief and indignation. This wasn't an act; influenced by his formal attire, he was genuinely somewhat deranged.
The young man, having already realized what was happening, ignored him and yelled at the players at the door, "Go tell the boss, this guy..."
"No need for explanations, I'll tell you the truth." Yuki raised his hand to interrupt, and with a furious roar, gray mist spread through the hall. "Killing me won't be that easy."
Hostile actions, clash of Transcendental Grade powers, conditions met, random missions unfold.
Call out--
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the hall vanished without a trace, and the player who went to report the news had just returned to the door.
Ah???
He was somewhat confused about the situation. Based on what he had just heard, the blond boy was indeed aggressive, but he was also in the right. Anyone who came with good intentions would be unhappy to be chased and killed.
But wouldn't that solve the problem? Shinomiya Hongzheng isn't mentally challenged; why would he lose his temper just to save face?
Something was amiss, but the player didn't think about it too much. He was only responsible for reporting what he saw and heard; what the important person thought about it was their business.
"Sigh, whether there are any problems or not, Nagumo Miyabi has ignited this battle. If Lord Yellow Light doesn't react, what will everyone think of him?"
The thought of large-scale player-versus-player combat was terrifying; the middle-aged man with black hair had just turned around when he felt the floorboards tremble.
The dark shadow charged forward like a giant beast, and in the blink of an eye, a huge, hard-boiled head appeared in front of his face, startling the middle-aged man so much that he took several steps back and leaned against the wall.
Adam didn't care about companions; he followed the scent and picked up the middle-aged man with one hand, like a chick.
Where are they!?
"Nagumo Miyabi, one of the key figures, secretly left the academy because it would be too dangerous for her to find me. Therefore, she chose to seek out Hongzheng to clear up the misunderstanding and looks forward to cooperation."
"The Causal Prophecy proved correct; Nagumo Miyabi did indeed have contact with Kaguya, which is why Hongzheng's subordinates accidentally caught up with him, and the two sides fought fiercely."
"In the end Nagumo Miyabi came to her door, Hongzheng to cover up his mistake, so he killed her to silence her?"
Smack
The report was slammed onto the table, and a rare look of bewilderment appeared on Yellow Light's face.
"Who wrote this report? They have quite the imagination."
He laughed in exasperation. These events formed a tight logical chain, and each point was not entirely baseless, yet when put together, they were still so unbelievable.
Besides, he knew his own younger brother well. He might be a little lacking in talent, but he wasn't the type to kill someone out of anger.
The core members of the group remained silent, carefully considering each word.
It all started with Causal Prophecy. Since Nagumo Miyabi and Kaguya Shinomiya knew each other, the prophecy wasn't wrong. The subsequent developments also make sense. The two sides started fighting because of an absurd misunderstanding. The biggest question is Shinomiya Hongzheng's choice.
"He's mediocre, but not stupid; the probability of him acting impulsively is extremely low." The purple-haired Celas gently shook her head, then looked at the hunchbacked blind man:
"Xin Zhen, this is your mistake."
"The prophecy was right. The two of them are indeed entangled in cause and effect. How can you blame me for this?" The hunched-over middle-aged man spread his hands.
It's really not his fault; if you ignore the last point, it's just an absurd coincidence.
"That might not necessarily be Nagumo Miyabi; it feels a bit deliberate."
"Does that matter? The key is that we've been challenged, and by someone who can't be ignored." Celas wasn't stupid; who it was didn't matter at all, as long as someone in a red school uniform caused trouble, that was enough.
If an ordinary member is killed by a brat, it can be suppressed for the sake of the bigger picture, but that was Shinomiya Hongzheng, a mediocre talent with a special identity.
The prophet fell silent. Nagumo Miyabi's identity, aside from proving his prophecy correct, held no other significance; in other words, the attack itself represented everything.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and someone came in to report.
The disappearance of the two 'visiting scholars' has created a tense atmosphere, proving that the other party had no intention of negotiating at all.
Not only did they initiate the war, but they also cooperated with each other, dividing the day into two battlefields. Celas took a step forward, but before she could speak, Yellow Light raised his hand to stop her.
"No need to say anything, I know which side is more important." Yellow Light had no intention of going to reinforce his younger brother. The seven players who were taken away were not weak, so he couldn't afford to be distracted now.
The truth is no longer important; now the enemy has raised the butcher's knife, cutting off any possibility of final peace talks. If there is any resentment, Yellow Light only feels that the academy is not a monolithic entity and that there are more ingenious ways to wage war.
'Playing on someone else's home turf will result in heavy casualties, but I have no choice. Zhou's existence is based on an unchallengeable authority. Being humiliated on my home turf, I must respond.'
The man closed his eyes. Regardless of whether it was absurd or coincidental, regardless of who was behind it, the enemy had taken the initiative to attack Zhou. The players had not signed any contracts with him and could not provide security. The organization would soon fall apart.
Core members may have suspicions, but ordinary players only know that a little brat dared to mess with their younger brother, and all eyes are on them.
Where is Adam?
Yellow Light made up his mind. The truth could be investigated slowly; the most important thing now was to make his stance clear.
"Still at the Red Lips Restaurant, insisting on entering a random dungeon for combat."
"Find a way to bring him back. There are plenty of strong people here to train him." Yellow Light felt a headache coming on just thinking about Adam. He covered his forehead, opened his eyes, and his eyes were filled with the decisiveness of someone in a superior position.
"Notify everyone to proceed according to Plan 2. Do not let any player escape."
Chapter Eleven: The Land of Bones (First Update)
[Random Quest Trigger - Land of Bones]
[Scene lasts for 12 hours]
Players can escape the battlefield by crossing gaps in the mountains.
Hearing the murmurs for the second time, Jiecheng felt no novelty anymore. He simply opened his eyes wide and looked around, deeply shocked by the scene before him.
Skeletons, countless skeletons, skeletons piled up like mountains.
He stood in a huge basin, surrounded by pale skeletons, some the size of humans, others enormous.
Even with his professional medical knowledge, Yuki couldn't identify the species of the skeletons. Fragments of various weapons and armor were scattered among them, making it look like a horrific battlefield ruin.
As the field of vision expanded, all that could be seen was a dark and steep cliff enveloping the battlefield, towering into the clouds with a slope of over 80 degrees. Anyone who could not fly would have no chance of escaping the basin. The gap mentioned in the warning was barely visible to the naked eye, and even if it existed, it was obscured by the dense mass of skeletons.
Looking further up, it seemed that even being able to fly wouldn't help; the sky was pitch black, with streaks of lightning flashing like silver snakes. The sky was so low, as if pressing down on the top of the mountain peaks.
Rumble--
With a thunderclap, a bright flash of lightning turned the earth into daylight. The light lasted for a few seconds before the world returned to pitch blackness. After a few seconds, it lit up again, and this cycle repeated.
What kind of place is this? How can it conceal the Demon Eye during 'night'?
Last time it was a city ruin. Although there were many suspicious points, it was at least within the realm of common sense. You could even guess that it was Tokyo from the landmarks.
What's going on with this scene before us?
What kind of battlefield would leave behind so many skeletons? Not far away, there's a pile of bones taller than a five-story building, which looks like a giant elephant. And these underfoot, they should be human skulls, but the triangular skull next to them doesn't look like a human at all.
He realized that random missions also held great secrets, but now was not the time to explore them. He took a deep breath and quickly focused his attention on the present.
The fuse has been lit. Regardless of the reason or whether it's true or not, a high school kid has started trouble, and he's even going after his own younger brother. If Shinomiya Oko doesn't react, he shouldn't be a big shot; he might as well go eat shit.