Against an opponent like Motley, mere physical attacks are not enough; one must also constantly disrupt his mindset.
Ed must make Motley believe that he has completely lost control of the battlefield situation and even the current state of White Wax Town, by disrupting all of Mortley's battle plans and constantly creating unexpected situations, in order to make him feel deep despair.
Watching Motley being briefly forced back by Xilǐ'er below, Ed multitasked, resurrecting Yiden while manipulating the alchemical golem to cut off Motley's retreat, and also switching screens to check the current location of another employee.
Thankfully, we've arrived.
After completing the mission of forcing the Holy Crusaders into the city with the players outside the city, Gray quickly detoured to White Wax Town, as he had another filming location to rush to.
As for the hundred or so Blood Corpse summoned by Bennett, they were naturally accepted by Ed's Root Network after they had lost their usefulness.
As for Bennett herself, since she was a gift from Ed to Gray, Gray has been taking the old vampire with him wherever he goes these past few days.
At that moment, Gray pushed his wheelchair in through the other door of the church, and along the way, they saw several musicians and priests playing a stirring battle hymn.
The [ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] hiding in the corner currently has no corpse to collect, so while activating spectator mode, I reminisced about the photo I had just snapped.
The silver spear was just a hair's breadth away from Ed's right eye! But the guide's face showed not a trace of panic, and even a faint smile.
These rare, high-contrast photos could definitely fetch a good price, but [ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] is currently planning to enjoy them on a small, private scale.
A wheelchair suddenly appeared at the edge of her field of vision, and at the same time, a voice reached her ears:
"Excuse me, Soul Returner."
[ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] suddenly turned her head and saw an extremely withered old man sitting in a wheelchair.
She thought the old man was talking to her, but when she looked back, she realized it was Gray who was speaking to her.
There are thousands of Soul Returner, and Gray couldn't possibly know them all. But there are only so many NPCs with names, identities, and specific roles. Even someone like [ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ], who doesn't follow the story much and is purely a casual player, knows who Gray is.
Realizing the other person seemed to know him, Gray spoke sincerely:
"Would it be convenient for you to take care of him for me?"
Gray was naturally referring to Bennett in the wheelchair. [ The Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] nodded, and Gray pointed to a joystick:
"This is the brake."
"OK."
Gray pointed to another joystick:
"This is..."
"I know, that's the accelerator."
"This is the electric shock controller."
"?"
Seeing the same shocked expression on the Soul Returner's face as he had back then, Gray's mood seemed to improve a little:
"I'm going to do the lord a small favor. You keep an eye on this old vampire for me; if he misbehaves, give him a good shock!"
"... OK."
[ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] took the wheelchair and watched Gray enter the battlefield not far ahead.
She thought for a moment, then reached out and pulled down the control lever. Amidst a buzzing electronic sound and a burnt smell, Bennett turned her head in disbelief, her eyes filled with resentment and confusion, as if to say, "What did I do to you that you electrocuted me?"
"Whee."
The Soul Returner briefly Incarnation into a perverted caregiver abusing the elderly in a nursing home explained with a smile:
"Just checking if there's still power."
By this time, Bennett had been tortured to the point of mental derangement; he almost believed he was still human.
The real Blood Corpse were those that tormented him relentlessly for 24 hours a day. While he both succumbed and struggled, a sense of tragic heroism arose in his heart, making his already clown-like life seem even more clown-like.
Compared to a withered old man, those Soul Returner with appearances naturally prefer to look at young NPCs.
She thought for a moment, then took out two Strangler Fig seedlings from her pocket and planted them in the cracks of the rocks covered with Virginia creeper.
The two artificially cultivated Aberration plants quickly came back to life. Thanks to their extraordinary affinity for plants, the [ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] issued a simple command:
" Number One, you're in charge of watching him to see if he moves around. If he does, tell Number Two immediately."
The Strangler Fig tip tapped itself, then wrapped around Bennett and began its work. This Aberration plant, the Strangler Fig, has no sight; its so-called "observation" actually relies on the perception of its outer skin.
The Soul Returner and looked at another seedling:
" Number Two, hold onto this. Once Number One notifies you, pull the lever."
The other Strangler Fig obediently grabbed the electric shock controller and went into standby mode.
Having resolved the immediate problem, [ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] turned her attention back to the battlefield.
Motley wasn't actually afraid of Xilǐ'er's attack; against such an opponent, he only needed an opportunity.
With his back against the alchemical golem's body, Motley dodged Xilǐ'er's triple attack, bracing himself against the heavy punches coming down from above.
Xilǐ'er was about to adjust his position after finishing a skill combo when the timing Master Motley caught him during the skill's recovery animation and kicked him in the knee.
The hollow metal armor emitted a mournful cry of violent deformation as Xilǐ'er's right calf was completely flipped forward by the heavy blow, rendering his knee completely useless.
Losing his Imbalance, he involuntarily fell to the right, only to be met with a heavy hammer transformed from Motley's right hand.
If this devastating blow lands, Xilǐ'er will be immediately sent back to the fountain to begin the countdown. Looking at the unfathomable black observation window, the corners of Motley's mouth began to turn up slightly.
"Bang!"
The deafening impact echoed throughout the indoor battlefield. As the ringing in their ears subsided, they discovered that Xilǐ'er was still alive, while Motley's hammer had collided head-on with another hammer.
The immense impact made Gray feel as if his internal organs had shifted, but his body, now a hybrid of plant and robot, told him that this was not the case at all.
Protected by those living mechanical structures, the vital parts of his body were not damaged so far, but the impact still left a bloodstain on the corner of his mouth.
Motley stared incredulously at the Low Tier before him, scrutinizing his body and feeling a wave of confusion.
If Xilǐ'er's existence was consistent with his understanding, then what about the person in front of him?
This newly added enemy clearly possesses plant-based characteristics, yet its every move carries a subtle sense of unnaturalness.
Motley concealed his aura, attempting to decipher the other's body structure, but noticed something amiss in several corners—it seemed to be... a mechanical structure?
His breathing suddenly quickened, and he shouted at Gray:
"What are you?!"
Although the Grand Knight Commander had not yet suffered any fatal injuries, he felt that the problems he was facing were getting bigger and bigger.
He thought of the name of a powerful force, but didn't want to say it aloud, because it was simply too far beyond his imagination.
The people of the Graycast Corridor and the Eternal Domain are actually fighting side by side?!
Gray wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and taking advantage of the brief moment when the alchemical golem controlled Motley, he raised the hammer Ed had given him high, and a blessing from the Soul Returner involuntarily slipped out of his mouth:
"Grey Griss, the merchant of the Gray Graycast Corridor, wishes you a Happy New Year!"