Chapter 104: Applying to Join the Wheel of Fate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 104: Applying to Join the Wheel of Fate
[Cult Leader of Chaos, Lv.115]
Taro Ball’s heart skipped a beat the moment he saw the figure appearing before him.
The Cult Leader of Chaos—a man whose motives, moral compass, and thoughts were entirely inscrutable—was the last person Taro Ball wanted to encounter.
Unless one possessed enough raw power to crush all schemes with a single blow, encountering the Cult Leader usually meant sinking into an irrecoverable quagmire.
The moment Taro Ball saw him, his body instinctively began to retreat.
Seeing this, the Cult Leader of Chaos stroked his chin and spoke with an amused tone.
"Oh? Can every one of the Unfated leap beyond the shackles of the timeline…?"
The moment he heard those words, Taro Ball’s pupils constricted violently. His internal alarm regarding the Cult Leader reached its absolute limit.
In a single second, Taro Ball cycled through hundreds of escape plans in his mind.
Ultimately, he realized there was no way out except for logging out of the game.
Before the other party could react, Taro Ball opened his game panel and prepared to hit the exit button.
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of a slight curl at the corner of the Cult Leader’s mouth.
The next second, a notification flashed before his eyes.
[You are within the range of "Boundless Void"]
[Warning: The game’s logout function has been disabled!]
[Please defeat the source of "Boundless Void": Cult Leader of Chaos]
It’s over.
As the surrounding environment was washed in a layer of monochrome black and white, Taro Ball realized things had taken a turn for the worse.
Damn it, I knew too little about this Cult Leader. I didn't expect him to have a skill that could block the logout function.
Just as Taro Ball was at his wits' end, he suddenly saw the Cult Leader’s expression freeze.
Before he could process what was happening, the black and white world rapidly faded away.
When he looked up again, the Cult Leader of Chaos had vanished.
"?"
The situation had shifted so abruptly that Taro Ball hadn't even realized how he had escaped the Cult Leader’s scrutiny.
Before his heart could settle, he heard a familiar shout from behind him.
"Bet you didn't expect this! I knew you'd come back, take this—!"
Strife, who had rushed back, froze mid-motion when he saw Taro Ball standing alone in the snow.
"What’s the deal? He escaped again?"
Realizing he had failed to catch the Cult Leader of Chaos once more, Strife felt a wave of inexplicable frustration.
"Curse it! Even though I predicted he’d double back, I still couldn't catch him…?"
Thinking this, Strife turned his gaze toward Taro Ball.
"Oi, brother, you alright? Did that man in black do anything out of line to you?"
Hearing Strife’s call, Taro Ball finally snapped out of his panic.
Once he saw who it was, a sense of disappointment washed over him.
Why does it have to be this blockhead… Whatever, at least he saved my life. I just hope he can talk like a normal person…
Taking a deep breath, Taro Ball looked back at Strife.
"Um, thank you for stepping in just now. As a reward, I’d like to give you this."
Hearing this, Strife let out a boisterous laugh and waved his hand dismissively.
"Hahaha! It was nothing, just a minor effort. I saw you all alone in this godforsaken place and thought you looked a bit pitiful. Why don't you come back to the Empire with me? I don't care about rewards or—"
Before he could finish, Strife saw an unexpected item appear in Taro Ball’s hand.
[Void Fragment]
Clang!
Almost instantly, a massive blade whistled past Taro Ball’s ear, smashing directly through the boulder behind him.
The next second, Strife was right in front of him.
Before Taro Ball could offer an explanation, the man had him by the throat.
"You’d better explain why a Void Fragment is in your hands…"
Facing Strife’s interrogation, Taro Ball struggled desperately.
"Ugh… No… wait… you first…"
Realizing he was crushing the man’s windpipe, Strife quickly let go.
"That—that—that… My apologies. I got a bit excited. This thing means a lot to me, you see…"
Faced with Strife’s apology, Taro Ball painfully scrambled up from the ground.
"It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m used to it… wait, no."
Realizing he had almost let something slip, Taro Ball looked at Strife nervously.
Fortunately, the man was still preoccupied with his own impulsive outburst and hadn't noticed anything amiss.
Seeing that Taro Ball was mostly unharmed, Strife adjusted his tone and asked again.
"So, brother, could you explain where you got this thing?"
"This… I found it in the Land of Storms. There was a space rift nearby at the time."
Hearing Taro Ball’s explanation, Strife nodded thoughtfully.
"Oh… I guess that makes sense. I remember hearing that wild space rifts do have a chance to drop Void Fragments, though the probability is incredibly low."
"Actually, let me correct you—all space rifts drop these things. It’s just that the probability is higher in the Land of Storms. Also, is there even such a thing as a 'wild' space rift?"
"Is that so? I must have remembered it wrong. I only heard about this stuff from my Big Brother recently. Anyway, I’ll take this Void Fragment. Once we’re back in the Empire, I’ll make sure to reward you properly."
With that, Strife hoisted Taro Ball onto his shoulder.
"You were probably injured just now. I’ll take you back to the Empire for treatment. Don't worry, I’ll cover the costs."
Just as Strife was about to set off, Taro Ball hurriedly called out.
"Wait! There’s no need for that, I can walk on my own."
"Really?"
"Really, really."
After putting Taro Ball down, Strife patted him on the shoulder.
"Alright then. When you get to the Empire, just mention my name. I’ll look out for you. By the way, I’m Strife. Got it?"
As Strife turned to leave, Taro Ball suddenly stopped him.
"Wait a moment, I have a favor to ask."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Seeing Strife’s confused expression, Taro Ball took a deep breath.
"If possible, I’d like to join the Wheel of Fate."
*
"The Wheel of Fate?"
Hearing the name Yu Yunsheng mentioned, Elania looked puzzled.
"Sister Potato, do you really want to join this 'Wheel of Fate'?"
Faced with Elania’s question, Yu Yunsheng nodded.
"Yeah. I’ve dreamed of joining that organization. If I get in, I’ll have a chance to meet my idol."
"Sister Potato’s idol? What kind of person are they?"
"Hmm… how should I put it? She’s about half a head taller than you, and she’s a super cute blonde loli."
Hearing Yu Yunsheng’s explanation, Elania looked slightly displeased.
Before Yu Yunsheng could react, Elania lunged forward and hugged her tightly.
"No. Sister Potato only needs me. I won't allow any other cute girls…"
Yu Yunsheng was taken aback by Elania’s sudden display of possessiveness.
"Um… can I ask why?"
In response to Yu Yunsheng’s question, Elania turned her head away.
"Besides you, Sister Potato, I can't find anyone else I can trust here. I’m afraid you’ll abandon me…"
Yu Yunsheng didn't quite know how to respond to Elania’s anxiety.
She hadn't expected that simply bringing Elania to Carlos Lilanka would cause the girl to become so attached to her.
It gave her a bit of an uneasy feeling.
Whatever, she’s the Priest-side Child of Fate. How could she be a bad kid…?
Then, Yu Yunsheng recalled the video Cat Fur Hat Maomao had posted on the forum.
Maybe not… Elania is so cute, she couldn't be that kind of person…
Thinking this, Yu Yunsheng patted the girl’s head.
"Alright, alright. Big Sister won't abandon you. Look, there are plenty of shops near the Opera House. Shall we go there to eat?"