Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Star Fall (3)
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***
I get why Andrey Gedroits set things up this way. The guy had an insane love for details. He probably wanted to create a whole world rather than just a game. NPCs built on real human behavior and thought patterns—ones that skirt ethical and religious taboos. A world where each one has rights in this game’s reality, and they can grow and wield them based on their personal abilities.
From a player’s perspective, it’s easy to get immersed in a world this subjective, vivid, and alive. Immersed to the point where I’ve wondered more than once if this is really a game.
[No need to look far. I’m living proof, right?]
‘Been quiet for a while. Were you sleeping?’
[Something like that. Now that I’ve got a real body, staying as a consciousness is getting tough. Yaaawn. You don’t need me right now, do you?]
‘Not yet.’
[Then I’m crashing more. Can’t miss showing up if that dumb shell of yours is about to croak because I’m too sleepy.]
A cracking yawn echoed from my left arm, and the alien sensation faded. No wonder it’d been quiet lately.
‘Even just looking at Hide proves there’s some connection to reality. It’s not just a game. There’s a purpose. It was made before the apocalypse, but it’s running flawlessly even in this infrastructure-wrecked world.’
My question is, if there’s a purpose, why make it this free? Why hand over so much control to players and NPCs? If there’s a goal, you’d steer the game toward it, but this feels like neglect. Watching from inside the Seed as NPCs and players shape the world however they want. Where’s the purpose in that?
‘If my guess is right... Aura is some insane tech close to data deletion authority. Of course, the “will” of each NPC—system control rights—is tiny compared to the world’s size, like a speck of dust. So the limit’s probably splitting rocks or metal in front of you. But flip it around: in this vibrant world, if some absurd hero hones their will to the extreme, couldn’t they reshape GG itself? Literally cleave the world in two with a single sword?’
Not just a possibility. Looks like they tried making transcendent will-beings like dragons to maintain order, but in World 3 alone, there are heroes who’d charge in and slay one if their life depended on it, as far as I know.
‘Was it in Thousand Stream Emperor’s clear video? Galadrion Sword went toe-to-toe with the final-evolution Edeorna that ate a dragon and mutual-destructed. An Aura like the Dragon Slayer’s is basically a system eraser, right? And Aura’s principle is extracting your will and separating it from the system? Come to think of it, high knights have high magic defense because their separated personal capacity lets them reject lower-authority commands? They’re practically system-external entities. What kind of game can’t even control its NPCs freely?’
No clue. Why Gedroits made a game like this. The more I think in terms of clearing it, the more suspicious bits pop up, but knowing just piles on more questions.
“...I should check it out when I visit Dome for research support. Those guys have been studying GG since Dome was founded. They shelled out billions of sealings to rankers for exclusive intel rights, so they must know something.”
The Professor cut off his spiraling thoughts. With facts this limited, more thinking just leads to guesses on guesses. Aura’s some sketchy tech. It can be applied to magic. That’s all to remember. File “Suspiciously Detailed GG” away in the corner.
“Hmm... looks like you’ve had some realization. Let me know if you need it. I can show you once more.”
“No, sir. You look pretty drained. Sorry for pushing you in enemy territory.”
After the fourth Water Shield, Otman definitely looked wiped. Guess the inefficiency wasn’t just talk.
“Hahaha! I’m fine. Water mages actually benefit from casting periodically. Still water stagnates. And by your account... we won’t see combat for a bit, right? With those weird mutants filling the city.”
“Yeah. I was hoping to punch through casually... but if you’ve got any juice left, could you do one more Farsight spell?”
“My, my, working this old man to the bone. Not too tough, so practice and try it yourself next time. [Numa Aselrai’s Blue Eyes]”
Plop!
Two water-formed eyeballs floated above Otman’s hand with the incantation. He handed one to the Professor and floated the other into the sky.
- Take a Look: Grandpa can do everything. Water Wall, Sinkhole, Water Shield, Farsight. Too OP for 5th circle, no?
- Jokasss: But no main damage spells.
- Deer Drug Please: Water magic can’t get “Pressure” trait, so no DPS lololol
- Speed Wagon: Like a special forces role. Versatile but not frontline DPS.
The Professor agreed with the chat. Otman had been great so far, but facing a full assault, AoE destruction magic was missed.
‘Water magic’s solid overall, just lacks punch. Even with “Pressure” insight, slamming it on a massive Water Wall a few times tires you out. Great for CC or utility, but killing power’s worse than a tank.’
Flame and fire mages dominated lethality.
No need for 5th circle. At 4th, grab some speedy allies, cast [Blaze Step], have them run around the city, and the spreading flames torch it naturally. Fireball gets wild effects at higher circles, Fire Rain carpets with catalysts. Flame mages embody the battlefield wizard fantasy.
“No helping it. Can’t brute force at our level.”
“Hm? Who’re you talking to?”
“Oh, just mumbling to myself.”
The Professor grumbled lightly and peered into Otman’s offered eyeball. A sky-high view magnified on the rippling blue retina.
Pellas’s proud walls were shattered in spots, the inner city half in ruins.
‘Expected that much. Fell to mindless 8th-7th grade mutants before named bosses even showed. No way low-grades would spare facilities for defense. Reclaiming won’t restore full strength, but better than a field base.’
The problem: the feast of high-grade mutants filling the wrecked streets, beyond expectations.
Mostly 6th grades like familiar trolls or ogres eroded by infection factors, but 5th and 4th grades—hybrids from northern nests mixing creature traits—were common too.
- Jokasss: That’s like a main legion. Below 6th are cannon fodder, but 5th+ from the queen’s north are production-limited.
- Heung An Mandu: Already elite-focused with low numbers—artificial wombs at 1/4 other Seeds? Those white grubs are Tunnel Worms, right? Digging through?
- Speed Wagon: Nah. NPCs aren’t idiots. Turan was first encounter, got surprised. Now intel’s out. Earth mage detects 10km away, no prep needed.
- Heung An Mandu: Mutants don’t know that. Could just charge?
- Mukaba: Salvation Church, Insomnia Crab leaking info everywhere? This Seed’s mutants invested heavy in intel. Can’t win info war. Knew about earth detection before you.
- Gunpowder and Blood: Strategically overwhelming. Ahead in everything but numbers. Spies remind me—Black Mages mostly in their pocket. Parasite worms in enemy brass; why not rebels?
“Ugh, playing this game for real.”
The Professor’s party holed up in this forest a day from Pellas not for leisure. Ultimate goal: queen assassination. If not, punch to empty Pellas for Haram Church bridgehead on northern push. But target Pellas was like that.
‘...Bypass Pellas and rush queen? One solid combat named could slice it? Wait, that many troops in Pellas means queen can produce them? Obviously nest-guarding forces too. Gamble’s better on Pellas. No gap to... Huh?’
Scanning for support forces to disrupt, something odd caught the Professor’s eye.
“Thorn vines?”
Rubbed eyes, but definite. No word of Pellas lord’s plant-monster hobby, so post-mutant changes.
At Pellas center, lord’s castle tallest tower: oily green thorn vines dripping.
Tracing roots, a fleeting afterimage chilled him from toes up.
“O-Otman! Camera this way!”
“Ca...mera?”
“The eye! Closer! Lord’s tower spire!”
“Already max zoom! Some mutants have sharp eyes or mana sense—too close and...”
“Must confirm! Retreat if spotted!”
“Hmm... I warned you! Cancel quick or position leaks!”
Click, crackle!
Familiar seal-forming sounds sharpened the feed.
‘...There!’
Brief but clear. Thick vines wrapped spire, top room: human woman-shape. Draped vines like lush dress. Clearly...
Crack!
Just before silhouette clarified, the transparent eye burst before the Professor.
“Damn! Someone smashed the Farsight medium. They’ve spotted us. What now? Probably just direction; scouts first. Makes you think—hunting stragglers like this...”
“No, withdraw. At least a day’s march.”
If I saw right, no scouts. Knowing enemies nearby, they’d swarm like enraged bulls and plow the area.
- Jokasss: Must catch it.
- Heung An Mandu: Die trying, grab that thing.
- Speed Wagon: Agreed. Exchange 10:1, 20:1. We lose—underleveled hero unit + three quasi-hero NPCs = our 1.
- Take a Look: Glitch? No variables explain that unit.
Chat watching the feed exploded. Makes sense. Even queen elite-focused, that unit shouldn’t exist.
“What’d you see to tense up? Retreat a full day? That strong?”
“No. Weakest mutant there.”
“Then why?”
“Important enough to mass those mutants guarding mid-war.”
Explains high-grades swarming Pellas. Second to queen in protection priority.
1st grade: named-level threat, but mass-producible, so distinct. Only three known types. Instant all-in kill target—one nets war reversal.
“Otman. Mages we sent back reached Tobrun?”
“Should’ve. Three days out, procedures considered—news hit Church by now.”
Then wait. For Senadis’s priests. Mages need special insight for comms magic; priests channel gods distance-free.
‘Don’t alert rushing in. Can’t let escape. Pull western front support if needed—catch it!’
Resting party packed frantically at Professor’s urgency, bolted back.
Trot!
“Boss, heard you saw something big. What’s got your fur up?”
“Chamber Maid.”
“Maid... handmaid?”
“Yeah. Queen’s servant.”
“That scary? Sounds weak...”
“Terrifying. Fail to kill, war’s lost.”
“What the hell does it...”
Professor recalled the spire silhouette.
‘1st grade mutant. Chamber Maid.’
Combat power nil, but any 3rd World player or clear-video watcher ranks it second assassination target after queen. Nicknamed “Multi.”
‘It births mutants. Endlessly. Forever.’
1st grade mutant Chamber Maid: queen’s artificial womb in mutant form. Moves freely, roots down, drains nearby life to spawn countless mutants. Queen’s clone.
Contradiction: contradicts elite few strategy.
‘Even amazing, less efficient than queen’s direct nests. Emerges in normal Seeds when over-resourced northern swarms overwhelm. Why now?’
More production base than individual. Queen births directly, named-level resources, post-birth drains more. Useless to resource-starved queen now.
Starved, chose elites. Rotated specials strategically.
Then produced mass-war endgame: Chamber Maid.
Contradictory cause-effect. But confirmed presence, escort legion—can’t deny.
Chamber Maid’s appearance: humanity’s worst-case imaginable.
“Dunno the brat... but conjured something from nothing.”
Mutants now had mass-war capacity. Nameds and specials backed by endless mass-prods.
‘Always ahead. One step, puppeteering.’
Professor heard chuckling black hand behind Turan, Tobrun, this mess.
‘Retreat, wait priest. Must’ve sent one—5th circle black mage nabbed, intel needs comms rider. Assess, judge! No breathing till then!’
Fleeing pursuit, prayed priest arrived fast for Church link. Info starved. West front, enemy moves, Salvation Church, Isaac-like manipulated allies! Too much unknown.
Blind moves make us mutant strategist’s pawn. To flip board, match their oversight first.
***