Chapter 282
The S-rank monsters are ferocious and powerful. Surprisingly, players are not restricted in any way this time except for amnesia. They can not only use the [Game Forum], but also record and share dungeon content in text!
Players present immediately posted requests for help on the forum, sharing their battlefield locations in real time. In less than ten minutes, eight high-level players arrived from across provinces to provide support, with more joining the battle along the way.
After a fierce battle lasting five hours, the S-class monster was finally defeated.
The crisis has been resolved without major casualties or impact on local residents.
The players breathed a sigh of relief.
Was it because the reinforcements arrived in time? It went incredibly smoothly.
The massive, mountain-like body of the S-class monster crashed to the ground, scattering into a shower of crystalline dust that landed on the ruins, as if a magician had cast a spell from afar, restoring the destroyed buildings to their original state in no time.
It was just dawn, the night was still dark, and stars were still twinkling overhead. The two scenes intertwined, creating an effect like the Milky Way cascading down from the heavens.
Some people couldn't help but remark, "This scene is actually quite romantic."
Wu Yong also thinks so.
He wanted to take a picture of this scene to share with his wife, but when he reached into his pocket, it was empty. He realized that he had left in a hurry and forgotten to bring his phone.
Never mind, I'll wait until next time...
Suddenly someone shouted excitedly: "Everyone, look at the forum moderator's pinned hot post! A master has captured the path of the strange creature's appearance and is using satellite positioning to pinpoint its location. We believe we'll have the answer soon!"
Others quickly opened the forum, which was already in an uproar. Players from all over the world were regaining their memories and spontaneously launching investigations. Various discussion threads emerged one after another, and the popularity instantly soared to hundreds of thousands. The Middle Continent section alone had more than a dozen posts per second. They were exchanging information about their situations, analyzing dungeons, and temporarily forming action teams... It was dazzling to watch.
With the fate of the world at stake, the moderators of the Central Continent forum made an exception and lifted the regional network restrictions. Now they can observe the movements of players from other continents and exchange intelligence in the [Open World] section.
The top guilds have already made contact with each other, reached a strategic cooperation, held an emergency combat meeting, and sent people to gather ordinary players.
Among the high-level players who came to provide support was the elite squad. The team leader was a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, exuding the air of a disciplined soldier. He was efficient and decisive. He compiled the situation into a report and uploaded it, addressing everyone: "Once we pinpoint the BOSS's location, we will immediately begin our operation. This is the final trial, and possibly the most dangerous challenge yet. We sincerely request that everyone contribute their share."
The crowd was in high spirits and eager to take the lead.
But at that moment, a hesitant voice interrupted, asking, "...Is it really necessary to be in such a hurry?"
The others were taken aback and frowned as they looked at Wu Yong, who had spoken.
This is the final trial; whoever clears it wins the infinite game. All players have fought tirelessly for this day, and yet someone wants to back down at this crucial juncture?
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads, instantly lowering the atmosphere to freezing point.
Wu Yong's friend rushed out, pulled the man to the back, and apologized to everyone with a smile: "No, no, that's not what he meant. This guy must be still half asleep and thinks we're about to fight the final boss, so we have to prepare properly, right?"
The leader of the peak team gave Wu Yong a deep look, but did not pursue the matter. He smiled and said, "Of course. We are still unclear about the rules and restrictions of the dungeon, the conditions for passing it, and the strength of the final boss. We must conduct a thorough and detailed investigation before taking any action."
These words eased the tense atmosphere to some extent.
The others stopped looking at Wu Yong and continued their discussion.
However, some people looked in a certain direction, showing the same hesitation as Wu Yong.
Wu Yong's friend pulled him aside to a secluded spot, his face flushed with anger: "Were you out of your mind? Didn't you realize what we were doing? What if they mistook you for a traitor? What were you thinking?"
Before he could finish speaking, the phone rang. Without even looking at it, his friend answered and asked impatiently, frowning, "What is it? Speak quickly."
Suddenly his expression changed, and he smiled ingratiatingly: "Wife, it's you. No, no, no, how could I possibly go out and fool around? Besides, it's almost dawn, who would choose this time? No, no, I really didn't fool around, not even once! You ask where I am... Yongzi ran into some trouble, I came to help, really, you can ask him if you don't believe me."
His friend handed the phone to Wu Yong, clasped his hands together, and made a frantic plea with winks and exaggerated expressions.
Wu Yong took the phone and assured the woman on the other end that they would definitely be back within half an hour, barely managing to calm her down.
"Your sister-in-law told you to remember to buy breakfast when you go back; Zhuangzhuang wants to eat beef buns."
"Okay, I'll buy it on my way back." My friend breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, bro, but you—"
He wanted to continue the conversation, but suddenly froze.
Looking at the nickname "Wife" on the contact page, the friend's face slowly tightened. At that moment, he understood Wu Yong's hesitation.
“I don’t understand,” Wu Yong said. “Your wife and son, my wife and daughter, Gangzi, Lao Li, Lao Wang… we fought so hard in the game just to bring them back to life. Now that they’re all here, is there any need for us to change the status quo?”
My friend retorted sharply, "But those are all fake. Don't forget this is a dungeon."
"Really? My wife and I have been married for over twenty years, and I don't think she's fake," Wu Yong countered. "What about you? Do you think your sister-in-law and Zhuangzhuang are fake?"
My friend was speechless, gripping his phone tightly: "..."
Wu Yong: "Given the system's cunning, it might actually inject a real person's soul into the final instance, creating a gentle haven that people can't bear to leave. Or perhaps we've all been wrong; after all, so much time has passed, who still remembers what it was like back then?"
My friend said in a deep voice, "If it's fake, we must break this copy; if it's real, then we should break it even more so so that everyone can escape this sea of suffering."
The problem is, this world isn't suffering!
Wu Yong gave a bitter smile: "The contractor settled the wages he owed us, more than 100,000 yuan, and even gave each of us a bonus of more than 1,000 yuan. Our house in our hometown was demolished, and with the planned railway line, we'll get several hundred thousand yuan more, enough for us to buy a car and build a new house in that remote place."
“You might think I’m useless. With all the skills I gained from the game, I could make a living anywhere in the real world. My dad died of cancer, and my mom passed away from overdosing on medication a few years later. But in this game, they’re still alive—healthy and happy!”
“There’s an old saying that ignorance is bliss,” Wu Yong murmured. “There’s nothing wrong with living in a lie.”
The argument with my friend ended badly.
Wu Yong rubbed his face dejectedly, thinking resentfully, "What is it that I'm not satisfied with?"
He returned home to find his wife frantically searching for him all over the streets. He rushed to her and embraced her warm body, thinking: After winning the game, will the dead necessarily be brought back to life? Will familiar faces come looking for him like this?
He saw on the news that an elderly man and woman who had extorted money from others were ordered to pay compensation, and he thought to himself: Is this possible in reality?
He walked down the street, and there wasn't a single person jaywalking or cutting in line. Students and office workers left school and work promptly at four o'clock in the afternoon, and parks and shopping malls were filled with laughter and joy.
He went to buy groceries; a fresh sea bass cost only 5 yuan, and various fresh vegetables were given away for free in a package. He asked the vegetable farmer if he could make money, and the farmer laughed heartily and said: "Don't worry, there are subsidies; farmers these days can make a lot of money."
He went online and saw that charities were being ordered to disclose the flow of donated funds, and that Hope Primary Schools were being built one after another.
The weather has been favorable across the region, and there hasn't been a single natural disaster since November.
Existing cancers are being conquered one after another, people's happiness index has increased, and everything can be achieved.
Isn't this kind of life happy? The instance has no time limit, so they can stay in this world forever.
Was he wrong? No, he wasn't wrong.
A few days later.
When Wu Yong's team successfully defeated the A-level monster once again, the leader of the peak team brought exciting news: they had located the final trial boss.
"The operation is scheduled for 6:00 AM tomorrow. If anyone has not previously joined a faction but is interested in joining the main force, they can sign up with the statistician surnamed Zhang to my right. Peak will provide you with logistical support."
The players reacted differently; some took it seriously, while others hesitated.
His friend looked at Wu Yong, who was staring blankly at him, and asked, "Are you going or not?"
Wu Yong remained silent.
The team, which was temporarily formed to fight the monster, has been disbanded. Tomorrow morning, some of them will return to become the main force in tackling this dungeon.
My friend decided to join this group.
Watching Wu Yong's silent departure, he opened his mouth, but ultimately did not try to stop him. He sighed and submitted his registration information to the person in charge.
Another player who was also involved in the operation came over to make an appearance, and looking in the direction Wu Yong had left, raised an eyebrow: "Was that person your friend?"
The friend nodded.
The man whistled and comforted them, "It's alright, everyone has their own ambitions."
With amusement, he casually remarked, "Speaking of which, the magnetic field in the direction he went back to has been very unstable these past two days, which may cause NPCs to undergo temporary mutations."
Some crucial information can only be obtained after joining the queue. My friend was also hearing about this for the first time, and his heart skipped a beat. He anxiously asked, "What mutation?"
"What else could it be? It'll turn into a monster. But don't worry..."
How could I possibly feel at ease!
Before the friend could hear the rest of the sentence, he frantically tried to contact Wu Yong while running: "Yongzi! Can you see? Don't go back yet!"
However, Wu Yong had already arrived at his doorstep ten minutes earlier.
He sat on the stairs, lit a cigarette, and the white smoke filled the air. The faint light from the game interface was reflected in Wu Yong's lifeless and numb eyes.
Seeing the message his friend sent him, he replied: "It's okay, I know."
Right behind Wu Yong, veins as thick as an arm crawled all over the door like tree branches, their textures clear and pulsating with life. Chopping sounds, "Bang! Bang!..." came from inside, making one's teeth ache.
Wu Yong had risked his life to investigate and found that his wife was chopping up cow bones, not human bones, which was why he was able to sit here relatively calmly.
The alienation started three days ago. At first, it only happened to one family, but later the whole building and the whole community were affected.
He consulted the forum administrator, who told him not to worry, that the magnetic field would return to normal once it stabilized, and to try not to provoke the mutated NPCs in the next few days.
He posted again for help, and surprisingly, quite a few people had encountered the same situation. However, because the recovery was so quick, people were only surprised for a moment and didn't take it too seriously.
Some have boldly speculated that perhaps all those who died back then were transformed into dungeon monsters by the system, and are now just residual images, like when a game malfunctions and displays overlapping images.
Then everyone started a heated debate about whether "after becoming a monster, is he still the same person he used to be."
For some reason, most people didn't get to the end of the discussion.
Emotions are contagious. After browsing through the posts for several hours, Wu Yong decided he didn't care anymore.
Who hasn't been killed by a monster? Who hasn't witnessed the tragic death of an acquaintance? Who hasn't gone from hope to despair? Who doesn't know that this world is fake?
People may look so fragile, but their tolerance threshold can sometimes be ridiculously high. Wu Yong even felt a sense of relief and ease.
Their previous life was too wonderful, unreal, and unsuitable for people like them who were used to fighting and killing.
That's right now.
Wu Yong took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled the stale air.
The post said it's best to stay away after the mutation occurs, even though there's no real danger, because you might not be able to accept it psychologically.
He felt good and was too lazy to hide. He figured he'd deal with whatever came his way, even if it cost him his life.
Just then, Wu Yong heard heavy footsteps behind him.
"Squeak—" The door opened, and a strong smell of blood filled the air as a figure approached from behind him.
He reacted even faster, drawing his knife the instant the figure approached and pressing it against the other's rotting, maggot-infested neck, drawing a glaring line of blood.
"Get inside," Wu Yong said coldly.
He can't kill this monster that looks like his wife. What if he dies and can't turn back?
But something's not quite right.
Generally, monsters don't easily step out of their own territory or deviate from their original course of action. The sales clerk monster he had seen only operated within the supermarket, while the driver monster had to drive.
Today, however, the monster opened the door and came out.
The monster looked at him but didn't say anything.
Just when Wu Yong thought there was a bug in the dungeon, the monster opened its mouth and said, "Nannan has been thinking about you all day. Why are you back so late today?"
Wu Yong paused for a moment, then clenched his back teeth tightly.
"Are you starving? I'll go heat up the food."
Wu Yong's breathing became increasingly labored, and his teeth clenched so tightly they made a cracking sound.
"You wanted to eat beef, so I bought a whole beef rib, but the knife is dull, so it's a bit difficult to chop."
Its throat had a hole, and its voice was as rough as an old bellows. The more intimate the tone, the hoarse and terrifying the lowered voice became, and the more Wu Yong felt, as if a knife was stabbing into his heart, drawing blood.
That's enough.
Wu Yong roared inwardly, "Enough! What else do these monsters want—"
"Ah Yong." The monster touched the knife at his neck. "After you finish this meal, you can leave."
Wu Yong: "..."
In an instant, the anger that had been suppressed for more than ten days was completely released. He felt a little dizzy and stared blankly at the monster in front of him.
"It's too tiring, let's quit. We can't bear it anymore. You live alone, so you have to take good care of yourself, okay?"
The monster's rotting hand was pressed against Wu Yong's cheek; the flesh was sticky and reeked of blood and stench.
Wu Yong thought that if the monster dared to take another step forward, he would definitely shake her off, but the monster just stroked him tenderly.
So his lips trembled, and he finally couldn't help but hug her, letting out a heart-wrenching wail.
—This is his wife, with whom he has lived for over twenty years.
The bubble of self-deception burst, and Wu Yong was suddenly confronted with his own selfishness and despicable nature. He was shocked and overwhelmed with unspeakable shame, which made him feel dizzy and heartbroken.
How can we let her be trapped in her own fantasy, unable to break free?
The next morning, his friend saw Wu Yong looking haggard in the queue.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was afraid of upsetting the other person. Wu Yong remained calm and handed him the breakfast bag, which contained several fragrant braised eggs: "Are you hungry? Shiying got up early this morning to make this."
The friend picked it up and smelled a rotten odor. Just as he was about to warn him, Wu Yong had already expertly peeled one open and stuffed it into his mouth: "Eat it without worry. It's been tested. The food is fine. It just has a slight odor."
Seeing that he remained unfazed, his friend's lips twitched: "You're awesome."
Seeing that Wu Yong's luggage was full, clearly someone had packed and organized it for him, I couldn't help but ask, "What did you tell your wife?"
Wu Yong threw the eggshells and oily plastic bag into the trash can, wiped his mouth, and said, "She didn't ask. I told her that my salary would double before the New Year, so I wanted to come out and earn more money."
He slapped his hand, checking the equipment storage area. A series of sharp weapons reflected a chilling glint, exuding a menacing aura, which met Wu Yong's gentle gaze. He bent down and kissed the wedding ring on his hand: "When I get back, we'll take Nannan back to our hometown for the New Year."
.
A few days later, in the council chamber of the Union Central Building.
This is a secret room temporarily created using player skills. It is brightly lit, with fiber optic cables crisscrossing around the control panel. Below are seats arranged in a tiered manner from low to high, and above is a 24x24 monitoring screen.
Originally, these surveillance systems were distributed around the world through connections made by players, but after receiving intelligence from an anonymous source, they were basically focused on H City in the Central Continent.
"What were the survey results?"
"We still cannot ascertain the exact identity of the informant, but they did not deliberately conceal their power fluctuations. Through comparative analysis, our people can rule out the possibility that the other party is a player."
"If it's not a player, then it must be an NPC?"
No, no, no.
The investigator picked up an infrared light pen and showed everyone the threshold of the massive fluctuations he had detected: "Possessing S-level pressure and the ability to expand a domain, summoning monsters of no less than its own level. We usually call this kind of creature—the [Monster King]."
Someone gasped in shock: "You mean to say it's an S-class Ghost King?"
"Then it's very likely to be the boss of this dungeon!"
"It's a BOSS, but most likely not the final BOSS. The quest prompt gives the Ghost King's level as three question marks, making it impossible to determine and completely unknown. If it's just an S-rank Ghost King, why make such a fuss?"
"Could they give us false information?"
"That's what we thought at first, until we recreated the strange creature's movements... Look."
The investigator marked more than a dozen small dots on the map on the screen, and drew the movement trajectory backward, and the intersection point was H City.
"In fact, the clue of [City H] was given to us when the dungeon title was generated, but after entering the trial, we didn't even see a shadow of this city. In everyone's mind, it was a wasteland with nothing at all."
"But when that ghost king contacted us, the icon of H City suddenly appeared on the map. We used satellite to investigate again, and the non-existent city—H City—had actually appeared! Even the terrain had changed, with mountains on the left and the sea on the right."
"Therefore, we analyzed that perhaps the final BOSS of this trial does not want the players to find him, thus blocking our knowledge. However, the S-rank Ghost King who revealed the location to us, let's call him [Nameless], has a disagreement with the final BOSS and hopes that we can go to H City."
Could it be a trap?
"No...or rather, there's no need. We've analyzed the energy spectrum. H City is like a source of pollution, yet its influence can radiate throughout the entire world. The final boss with this kind of power doesn't need any fancy tricks to deal with us."
The investigator looked as if facing a formidable enemy: "This is the truly tricky part. Perhaps our opponent will be—God!"
"But that's impossible!"
The scene shifts to the inner conference room of the Apostles Guild.
Hill, the seventh apostle of the god of contracts, Dionysus, slammed his fist on the table and retorted, "Gods cannot directly interfere in dungeons. This is a game rule that White forced the system to change, and no one can break it!"
Deities cannot directly intervene in dungeons to limit the system's use of extraterrestrial god-level power. Otherwise, most players would encounter a dimensional reduction attack before they even have a chance to grow stronger.
Thanks to this rule, the survival rate and completion rate after the game restarts are not so hopeless.
"We all know, can you calm down?"
Seeing the green dodder flowers that had grown wildly and started to grow wildly in the room in the blink of an eye, the sixth apostle, whose contracted deity was Hermes the messenger, took a big step back with lingering fear.
The difference between S-level players and ordinary players when defending their idols is that the latter, if they get excited, might at most swing their arms and fight, while the former, when they get excited, might even tear down a house.
Fortunately, the other apostles were already used to it.
Since the infighting within the Apostles Guild, they had never gathered together so completely. The atmosphere was not particularly lively, and the meeting room was filled with a stiff, businesslike feel.
The twelfth apostle, Little Lamb, whose contracted deity was the [Black Goat Cub], looked at the initiator of this meeting: "Lilith, what are your thoughts?"
The blonde girl in the wheelchair sitting at the head of the table, Lilith, the third apostle of the [Space Beast], bound all the parasitic flowers together with a single wave of her hand. Under Hill's angry glare, she coldly said, "Didn't you say yourself that the rules can be changed?"
"So it's impossible, unless he also self-destructs like White! But we haven't seen that happen—"
Meeting Lilith's ambiguous gaze, Hill suddenly realized what was happening and her face darkened as she said, "Are you doubting White?"
Lilith confronted him, her blue eyes reflecting the changing patterns of the star chart, her expression unwavering, her hands clasped tightly together: "No, it's to prove his innocence."
Lilith said, "Hill, if you don't understand, let me explain it more clearly. Among the contracted deities currently on record, only two possess this ability to drastically alter mental cognition: one is White after becoming a god, and the other is the evil god."
As luck would have it, the evil god was White's contracted deity, instantly solidifying the suspicion.
"Since the final trial can be opened, it proves that White has defeated the system, obtained the core, and removed the sealing barrier."
"Given his character and style of doing things, if he can control the direction of the instance, it will definitely be a trial that can be completed easily in the shortest amount of time."
"But we have lost our memories. The controllers of the instance are dragging us into this supposedly perfect world, with no intention of ending the game."
"White has not contacted us even once since we entered the instance."
...
"In conclusion, there are one suspicious point after another, which cannot be ignored by using 'accident' as an excuse."
"The future of humanity must be put before formalism and political correctness," were White's original words. When there were suspected traitors within the organization, he was the first to step forward and apply for a self-examination, setting an example for others.
"In any case, if there is suspicion, we must investigate. We must be responsible to the public."
“You make it sound so easy!” Hill retorted. “When you’re actually suspected, will you just surrender and let them throw you into an interrogation room?”
Lilith said lazily, "Of course not, because I know I'm innocent. Only a naive guy like White would say something like 'a clear conscience fears no accusation' and then put himself under the scrutiny of others."
"But you don't need to doubt that if I'm suspected and refuse to cooperate, White will personally take me to the interrogation room. Not just me, but all of you too, arrest one if you're one, arrest two if you're two."
Hill choked, unable to utter a rebuttal.
"And I didn't discuss it with you either."
Lilith clapped her hands, and a large, semi-transparent screen suddenly appeared in the air, connected to the 576 monitors in the Alliance Conference Hall, displaying real-time monitoring footage of a player entering H City.
About a hundred meters away in front of the camera, a tall and upright young man is standing on the street. He is slightly bent over, seemingly carefully selecting fruit.
The attention of everyone present was immediately drawn to him, because the young man was Xie Xubai, the former First Apostle, White.
At this moment, Miel, the second apostle of the white-robed man seated to Lilith's right, whose contracted deity was [Healing Angel Raphael], finally spoke: "When did you find White?"
Lilith didn't hide anything: "A week ago."
They had just received information about the S-class Ghost King [Nameless] a week ago, and hadn't even had time to verify its authenticity.
The action was surprisingly swift.
Miel then realized that Lilith's attitude was unusual.
He looked around.
Aside from the eleventh, tenth, and ninth apostles who betrayed the cause, the fourth apostle Raven who failed in his attempt to betray the cause and is still in solitary confinement, and the fifth apostle Augutov who went undercover and whose fate is currently unknown, there is one other person who is not present.
Miel: "You sent Baser to test White?"
The Eighth Apostle, Bashar, is a warrior from the northern snowfield tribe. He is the only apostle member who physically attacks White upon their reunion. His characteristics are belligerence, irritability, and a refusal to admit defeat.
It once had a glorious victory against White, which was that at night it would turn into a bat, carry a challenge letter, hang it on people's dormitory windows, and show its two eerie green eyes to stage a midnight horror movie.
White, who was already exhausted, had dark circles under his eyes the next day, and was almost driven to a nervous breakdown by his harassment.
Lilith: "He is the most suitable candidate in the entire Apostle Guild."
Hill had been staring at Xie Xubai on the screen, looking somewhat dazed. He had never seen White look so relaxed and carefree before. Upon hearing this, he immediately became displeased: "Why do you let Baser go but not me?"
"Given the courage bestowed upon him by the Goddess of the Hunt to challenge the strong and defy divine authority, he won't be like you, whose legs go weak at the sight of White." Lilith's words were quite blunt, even tinged with sarcasm.
The sleepy little lamb blinked and said, "Then I..."
Lilith: "What resistance do you have to [The Sleeping Nest]?"
The little lamb stopped talking and started wiggling its legs while hugging its toy.
They were completely defenseless; they wanted to pounce on White the moment they saw him.
Lilith noticed him and the Sixth Apostle quickly raised his hand: "Don't look at me, just don't make me face him, I have no objection."
Miel looked at the big screen.
There were many surveillance cameras targeting Xie Xubai, a 360-degree surround view with no blind spots. He guessed that Lilith must have arranged no less than a hundred lurkers nearby.
It's worth noting that, besides Bartholomew, there's another main perspective standing alongside him.
Who are the people around Bartholomew?
"His name is Roca. Although he's not as good as that freak White, he's still one of the best mentalists. He's definitely in the top three."
A powerful being with a mental cultivation ability?
Miel's brow twitched, realizing he had underestimated the audacity of this madwoman, and his expression turned serious: "Do you intend to directly probe White's thoughts?"
“That’s right, we’ll weigh the options for a week; that’s the quickest way.”
Lilith said, "White's current state seems to be amnesiac. It's unclear whether it's due to the betrayal of the evil god or his self-isolation. Either way, we need to 'awaken' him."
"That's too risky!"
"Why not take risks?" Lilith said with a smile. "Was White's self-destruction of his soul the right thing to do?"
“But you…” Miel strongly disagreed with this radical approach, but before continuing his rebuttal, he noticed another point of doubt.
"As you said, you've already made your decision, so what's the point of holding this meeting?"
Miel stared at Lilith with growing disbelief, his face turning extremely grim: "You not only doubt White, but you doubt us too!"
The little sheep frowned, jumped off the chair, and went to the conference room door. Just as he raised his hand, a spatial barrier blocked his path.
He tried to break the seal, but the power rebounded instantly, bang! It grazed his body and cut a two-meter-wide trench in the ground!
If the lamb hadn't dodged quickly, that blow could have severed half of his hand.
Admittedly, such an attack was child's play for the apostles, and the chances of them not being able to dodge it were very small. However, at this moment, the temperature in the conference room inevitably dropped by more than ten degrees, and the atmosphere became tense.
Lilith made no attempt to hide anything. Seeing that they had already noticed, she simply cut to the chase: "I invited you all here for a simple reason. First, to have you all bear witness, since my judgment may not be correct."
"Secondly, if the mastermind is an evil god and White is being threatened, we need to discuss together how to rescue him. If the mastermind is White, we need to discuss together how to deal with him."
"If, unfortunately, it is the latter, and you also happen to encounter some people who are staunch supporters of White, then you must first purge your own ranks before considering uniting against external forces."
The Apostle Guild was built by Xie Xubai, which shows how much he cares for him.
If Lilith were to announce these words to the public, they would likely offend 80% of the Apostle members.
When it comes to stance, distrust becomes the least of the problems.
Hill gradually sat up straight, and his incoherent voice finally carried a hint of cold killing intent, because of Lilith's statement that she would deal with Xie Xubai, and because of Lilith's threat to him: "As fellow god-level players, are you really that confident that you can take down all of us?"
"When I was entrusted with taking over the Artifact of Destiny, I swore an oath to Earth in the presence of my teacher and White, that I would dedicate everything to the victory of mankind." The space beast roared excitedly from its legs, and Lilith's tone remained unwavering, "Even if it means becoming an enemy of my former comrades and paying with my life."
.
"Bather, Loka, you two go." Lilith's command echoed in his mind, and Baser nodded in response.
He took a step forward.
At the same moment, all the officers on duty at the Alliance Command Post sat upright, and experts from all over the country gathered together. The 576 small monitoring screens in front of them were combined into two main screens and more than 20 sub-screens. At least two observers were on each screen recording in real time, their eyes focused intently on Xie Xubai's every move.
From the most subtle details of facial expressions to hand and foot movements, muscle rhythms, and behavioral habits when talking to the shop owner... everything was incorporated into the supercomputer's data analysis with the highest level of attention.
At this moment, Xie Xubai was unaware that he was being waited on by hundreds of people.
His attention was entirely focused on the fruit in front of him, a slight smile playing on his lips as he chatted and laughed with the shop owner.
The sunlight shone on the young man's face, outlining a soft contour that made him look gentler and kinder than ever before.
This is the complete opposite of the white that Bathor remembered.
The personal information of apostle members is classified as top secret, and their appearance is altered before joining.
Xie Xubai intentionally made himself look more dignified, creating a rough and rugged image, but not so exaggerated as to go from a bean sprout to a muscular man with broad shoulders and a thick waist, because he was worried that one day the disguise would fail.
Therefore, in addition to using props for disguise, he would also use physical means such as makeup and disguise to give himself double insurance.
Even until the very end, very few people knew that White was such a stunningly handsome Eastern man.
The person at the command terminal spoke sternly: "Bathsar! You've experienced a temporary overdose of dopamine, and your heart rate is rapidly increasing. Tell me what you're thinking!!"
[Never submit to him; control your will!]
White, having reached the later stages of cultivation, is at the pinnacle of mental abilities. His charisma is off the charts, and his mental manipulation is unparalleled. He only needs to glance at someone with a smile, and the next second that person will be so eager to kneel down and tear out their heart.
As an ally, White is a trustworthy and reliable commander, but as an enemy, he is far too terrifying.
This is why it's not advisable to let those close to White test him; they could easily turn against White before even speaking.
However, Basser felt hot all over and just wanted to fight Xie Xubai.
Perhaps it was the blessing of the hunting goddess that worked. Baser saw himself as the king of the jungle, transforming all his negative emotions, such as fear and hesitation, into a surging fighting spirit. The stronger and more difficult Xie Xubai was to deal with, the more he wanted to challenge him, his excitement becoming uncontrollable.
[Bartholomew, calm down. You can't fight him, absolutely not.]
If you can't fight, then you have to think of something to distract yourself.
Bathurt remembered the past.
From the very beginning, he and Xie Xubai were at odds, or rather, their personalities clashed.
He looked down on this newbie who used connections and privileges, and although he didn't show it on his face, he knew Xie Xubai had noticed.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have said, "Keep him here. The Apostle Guild cannot become my personal fiefdom. I need a few people who can oppose me," when Pei Yuheng wanted to transfer him away.
From that moment on, Baser knew that Xie Xubai had never intended to treat him as a companion; at most, he was Xie Xubai's controller for balancing power.
The 2.1-meter-tall foreign giant was still too conspicuous, not to mention that he also carried the bloody aura of a desperate criminal.
In real life, Xie Xubai stopped his casual conversation with his boss and looked over with a raised eyebrow.
That sudden turn of his head made Basel hallucinate that after the trial ended, Xie Xubai grabbed a coffee cup from the table and smashed it over his head, his eyes filled with cold light, his angry curses clearly audible throughout the corridor: "Idiot! Stubborn and self-willed! Utterly stupid!"
That time, it was because Basel disliked the small and cumbersome manpower that Xie Xubai had assigned to him, so he left them all on the road.
Few of those people survived, but Bathur believed that the strong prey on the weak, and that dying only meant they were useless. Besides, the dead could be brought back to life, so what was the big deal?
Everyone knows he's used to being alone; it's clear Xie Xubai wanted to use this as an excuse to set a trap and make him lead the team.
Moreover, he always disliked Xie Xubai's naive yet tragic ideas.
The transformation from weak to strong and then to extraordinary white is a rare exception that only appears once in billions of people; otherwise, how could a miracle be called a miracle?
Fighting is the mission of the strong. Those weaklings and ordinary players have no chance of fighting. Why drag them onto the battlefield?
Is it to highlight their own extraordinary abilities and power? Or is it a perverse pleasure to watch people suffer and die tragically?
At that time, Bathur thought that if White asked him to lead those "old, weak, sick and disabled" again, he would once again leave them in danger without any mercy.
This is a form of resistance against authoritarianism.
White did not send anyone else to him.
That time, White surprisingly lost control of his anger and personally beat him until he was covered in bruises and his bones were broken.
But such injuries are of no use to god-level players who are as ruthless as a dead pig that isn't afraid of boiling water.
So White stopped, exhausted, and waved for someone to throw him into jail.
Two days later, Basel was bailed out.
One reason he was able to escape punishment so easily is that there was a shortage of people on the battlefield, and he was one of the few god-level players with extremely strong combat talent.
Secondly, the alliance also needs someone to continue opposing White and reduce his influence.
Thirdly, his orders to his subordinates were to act according to circumstances, not to deliberately send them to their deaths. Furthermore, he made significant contributions and achieved merit during the trials.
Barthol, now free to roam, laughed with a hint of sarcasm: as White had wished, even with his 90% internal approval rating, the Apostle Guild would not become his personal fiefdom, and he couldn't even openly and legitimately eliminate someone he utterly loathed.
...
In fact, Bathory later came to understand White's "naive" ideas to some extent, or rather, he realized his own shortsightedness and ignorance.
Sending ordinary people to the battlefield, etc.
Because he was saved by a weak logistics worker when he was on the verge of death.
The logistics worker was covered in dust and dirt, and Baser couldn't make out his features. In the brief, urgent seconds, he could only vaguely hear Baser's desperate shout: "I've found Lord Baser! Here! Here! Quick! Teleport me immediately! I'll cover your retreat!"
But what he meant by covering the rear was not using weapons to block the enemy, but rather using a prop similar to a decoy spray to attract aggro.
Within seconds, the logistics personnel was engulfed by the attack of the Outer God, and the area within a ten-mile radius was reduced to ruins, leaving not a trace.
There was a limit to the number of people who could be teleported. Only two of the people who helped him escape survived. Later, he fainted, and when he woke up, both of them were dead.
He didn't even have time to ask their names.
...
In reality, Basel is getting closer and closer to Xie Xubai.
Twenty meters, ten meters, five meters, gradually it was only a step away.
Loca, a high-level mentalist player beside him, cautiously activated his skill. Xie Xubai watched the two of them, his thoughts gradually becoming clear: "...Westerners?"
Xie Xubai: [I seem to see a lot of foreigners lately. Is it because of the visa-free policy that they're coming here for tourism?]
Basel had thought about all of Xie Xubai's initial assessments of him.
Although they became bitter enemies later on, things shouldn't be that tense in the early stages.
It might just be ordinary disgust, ordinary vigilance and rejection. Or perhaps they see him as a savage, a foul-smelling country bumpkin, a dangerous person with blood on his hands.
It would never be like this. As I looked him up and down, my eyes lit up, and I sighed with admiration.
Xie Xubai: [What cool pecs!]
Bartholomew: "..."
Lilith and the other apostle members watching from the surveillance camera: "..."
Yan Shuo, who was secretly and coldly scrutinizing the player, thought to himself: "..."
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