Chapter 538: The Madness of "Players" and "Game Architects"
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 538: The Madness of "Players" and "Game Architects"
"BOOM—!"
Another violent explosion roared. At this point, Xia Li completely ignored the regulation prohibiting the use of transcendent power during off-campus excursions; this was exactly the kind of emergency that overrode the rules.
The only reason she hadn't counterattacked immediately was the sheer aggression of her opponent. If she engaged in a full-blown magical duel, especially here in the heart of the city, the resulting collateral damage would be catastrophic.
According to the "you break it, you buy it" principle, the reparations alone would bankrupt her!
Even her private stash wouldn't be enough to cover the costs!
She had been leading her pursuers in circles, hoping the commotion would attract the attention of nearby transcendents and bring reinforcements. However, she hadn't expected her opponent to have absolutely no sense of restraint.
Just then, Xia Li heard a sound entirely different from the roar of thermal weaponry. A flicker of hope rose within her—this was the sound of other transcendents arriving.
After all, most transcendent academies were currently on break.
"Looks like I won't be able to see Tan Han today... What exactly are those guys after? Could it be..." Xia Li quickly thought of the Crystal Crown she had brought with her.
It was a decision she had made under immense pressure—she intended to hand it over to Tan Han personally, which was why she carried it on her person.
The concept of [Transcendent Knowledge] rarely circulated among ordinary students of the Witch Academy. Even upperclassmen knew little about it. Of course, this didn't apply to those guys from the Jack-of-all-trades Club; they knew far too much about the secrets of the Witch Academy that were hidden from the general student body.
Some of them had even known about concepts like "Scripts" and "Luck" long before they were publicly exposed.
As for [Transcendent Knowledge] and Great Spellbooks, once one reached a certain level, such information wasn't difficult to find. Many students studied under mentors who were either researching Great Spellbooks themselves or were well-versed in the subject.
If you wanted to know something, you could just ask. However, how much you learned depended entirely on how much the mentor was willing to share.
Once the concept of the Great Spellbook was understood, it instantly shattered the simplistic spellbook grading systems the students had built for themselves. The Over-consumption Spellbooks, the Myriad Methods Books, and even the Million Divine Spellbooks—which were practically unheard of within the Witch Academy—became trivial in the face of a Great Spellbook.
This was because the true hierarchy was categorized as: Small Spellbook, Spellbook, and Great Spellbook. Their previous understanding of "grading" had been mere child's play, confined entirely within the single category of "Spellbook."
But there was a problem: Great Spellbooks were items that even Transcendent Witches coveted. There had never been a record of a student obtaining one, so it was practically a pipe dream.
However, they could obtain [Transcendent Knowledge] through other means.
According to the mentors, [Transcendent Knowledge] wasn't rare within the Witch Academy. There were many secret locations forbidden to students where the academy's top Academic Witches gathered, attempting to create Great Spellbooks to bring glory to their names.
Xia Li could only assume that was what they were after. Given the enemy's combat power, it clearly wasn't a Transcendent Mentor attacking her. That left only... students. Unless it was some civil terrorist organization?
That was impossible!
Transcendent resources originated from the academies. Even if some leaked into the private sector, it would be in tiny amounts. Judging by how "extravagant" the enemy was being, they clearly had deep pockets.
"I wonder which academy the reinforcements are from..." Xia Li muttered to herself, preparing to join the fray.
Previously, the enemy had the advantage of numbers. Now that help had arrived, she couldn't let her ally face them alone.
"Eh? Tan Han? Wait, why is Tan Han here?" The moment Xia Li saw the figure, she recognized her. Though she hated to admit it, this was the city where Tan Han lived. She had planned to contact Tan Han once she arrived, but Tan Han had appeared before she could even make the call!
"Honestly... why play the hero? It's not like you're the only one who can save this city. Why stick your neck out?" Xia Li cursed under her breath, though her heart was filled with worry.
While she knew Tan Han was strong, facing off against these bottomless thugs was hardly a wise move.
By now, evacuation sirens were blaring across the city. However, the ordinary citizens, who had lived in peace for centuries, had only ever heard these sirens during scheduled drills. It was only when they saw the terrifying explosions and collapsing buildings that their instincts finally kicked in, telling them it was time to run for their lives.
Just as Xia Li was about to join the fray, she realized it wasn't just Tan Han engaging the enemy.
Several transcendents had gathered: some from the Wizard Academy, some from the Elf Academy, and even some from the Birdman Academy. In Xia Li's eyes, they were the perfect helpers to pin the enemies down.
But the moment she appeared, she instantly drew the "aggro" of the Players once again.
The Players, however, weren't having an easy time either.
[Warning: Player's main body has been struck by an unknown curse. Stamina is dropping significantly. Minor corrosion effect detected on the right calf.]
[Notice: Your Streaming Light - Type II Floating Cannon has been hit by an arrow. The identification core module is damaged. Please recover it immediately to avoid friendly fire.]
[Damage Report: Your deployed fire suppression platform has been violently destroyed. Manual detachment and module recovery recommended.]
[Supreme Authority Notification: Mission target has appeared. Target locked and marked. Mini-map updated in real-time.]
The frantic pop-ups were driving the three Players crazy. They muted the audio notifications, but they couldn't ignore the data flooding their vision. This was combat; a single mistake could lead to total defeat.
They hadn't expected reinforcements to arrive so quickly, nor had they expected the local resistance to be so fierce despite their appearance.
Who would have thought a delicate girl riding a broom could transform into a multi-meter-tall flame behemoth and summon similar fire monsters?
Who would have thought those pointy-eared humans could destroy a floating cannon equipped with an energy shield using a single shot from a primitive bow?
And who would have thought that freakish, half-dead guy would play dirty with curses? Curses! Was the "transcendent water" in this world really this deep?
However, the high-level Game Architects had issued a death order. They had even broken protocol to provide powerful equipment resupplies, but the loading process took time.
Their plan required them to stall.
Perhaps... they could try negotiating.
When they saw the target who had vanished from their sight reappear, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
At least she hadn't run away. The worst-case scenario had been avoided.
"Who the hell are you people?! You're those civil terrorist organizations from the news, aren't you?"
Seeing the enemy heavily damaged by their initial ambush—though subsequent attacks hadn't done much, as most were dodged or blocked—the locals realized the best window for a sneak attack had passed. Now, it was a war of attrition.
But these thugs had destroyed so many buildings and killed so many people on their way here. They had to pay!
Just as everyone expected the enemies to remain silent, one of them actually spoke. This surprised the locals, as these intruders hadn't uttered a single word or revealed any information until now.
"A pointless question! Our target has been her from the very beginning! Have her hand over the item, and we will stop the destruction!" the Player said, using a simultaneous translation tool. His speech was still a bit clunky.
As soon as he finished, the gaze of everyone gathered there shifted toward the person he was pointing at.
That person was Xia Li, who had only just emerged.
Xia Li felt the weight of their stares—curiosity, shock, and suspicion. It made her incredibly uncomfortable.
She had heard what the guy said.
"In your dreams! Since when did mugging someone become something you can brag about so openly?" Xia Li roared. She could tell exactly what the enemy was doing: they were trying to shift the blame onto her.
If even one person on her side wavered and wanted to end things quickly, the unity of their alliance would crumble.
"You're from the Witch Academy, right? What exactly do you have that they want so badly?" a student from the Wizard Academy standing nearest to Xia Li asked.
"I'm not at liberty to say," Xia Li said through gritted teeth. She couldn't reveal anything about the [Transcendent Knowledge]. It was highly sought after even within the Witch Academy; there was no guarantee the other academies wouldn't be tempted.
"I recognize you... Red Velvet Xia Li..." a student from the Holy Angel Academy spoke up. As a member of a top-tier academy that had been relentlessly targeted by a certain someone, he naturally recognized her name.
"If it's not something vital, just give it to them. Do you have any idea how much public property has been destroyed and how many people have died because of this conflict you started?"
"Birdman... I suggest you look in a mirror before you open your mouth. It's easy to be generous when it's not your stuff, isn't it? What the f*ck gives you the right to make decisions for me?!" Xia Li's temper flared at the sight of the Holy Angels, and the way he immediately targeted her regardless of the situation made her blood boil.
"Right, I have no right. But I have the right to ask you on behalf of the thousands of innocent ordinary people who died because of you! Is your precious item worth more than their lives?" the student retorted self-righteously, making those around him frown.
The Wizard, who was usually at odds with the Holy Angel Academy, simply watched the drama unfold. He didn't particularly like the Witch Academy either.
This development was perfect for the Players. They hadn't expected the friction between these factions to be so deep.
Of course, part of it was that these locals didn't take the Players' strength seriously.
But who could have guessed that the Players were about to drop a bombshell on these arrogant fools?
Just as the argument was about to escalate further, Tan Han couldn't take it anymore.
"Enough! Our enemies have always been those guys! They are the ones who did all this! Are you really standing here accusing the victim?"
"She's no victim; she's the culprit who caused all of this!" The person in the heat of the argument didn't care about Tan Han's words and snapped back immediately.
Perhaps he was simply used to standing on the moral high ground.
As Holy Angels, the spokespersons of the Holy Light whose churches spanned every corner of the world, they naturally assumed everyone was a believer or a potential believer of the Holy Light.
In their eyes, the Holy Angels naturally carried the voice of the people, speaking for them with a deafening, questioning roar.
The doctrines of the Holy Light had reshaped their worldview and values. This inclusivity reached a terrifying level, to the point where any voice of doubt would be struck down by their self-consistent logic.
Someone once said that Holy Angels were a bunch of lunatics trapped in their own world who occasionally came out to plague others. No one except the Holy Angels themselves would disagree with that.
And that trait was on full display right now.
"Hey, I say... did you guys forget about us? We didn't come here to listen to you bicker!"
"Hahaha! We're here stalling for time, and you idiots are busy pointing fingers at each other! What a show!"
Following that piercing, mocking laughter, everyone seemed to snap back to reality. The three Players now stood with arrogant postures as a terrifying power erupted from their bodies.
Countless tiny pixel blocks coalesced. Their original combat armor and weapon platforms disintegrated into semi-transparent modules and were retracted into their cores.
"Yes! Finally, it's this one..."
The Player who finished the reception first stared at the virtual display in front of him, falling into a state of wild ecstasy!
The image in his vision was a full set of armor. With a single glance, he recognized it as the "God-Slayer" series combat armor. The first generation of this series had famously assassinated a self-proclaimed god in another world during its debut. Since then, the series had inherited the name "God-Slayer."
He hadn't expected to be granted usage rights for such equipment. Were the benefits for Vanguard Pioneers really this good?
Though it was unlikely they were being given the armor permanently, just being allowed to test it was enough to brag about for a long time.
Then, as a shuddering, heart-stopping pressure radiated outward, the man's outer armor transformed.
The design fused futuristic technology with unknown mythological elements. Simply standing in the air, he projected a terrifying visual presence, manifesting the majesty and intimidation of a civilization built on war and invasion.
The silhouette, outlined by countless transcendent pixels, possessed a sleek, aerodynamic feel, gleaming with the luster of unknown materials under the sunlight.
Constantly flickering particle effects created a visible aura, and a daunting pressure stirred a primal fear of the unknown.
In the "special effects equal combat power" philosophy of these Players, this return to a streamlined form—discarding the clunky external weapon platforms—only served to highlight the coolness of the "God-Slayer" armor. Rune and pattern effects rendered the entire space, making it feel as though he had entered his own personal domain.
Even his field of vision was enhanced by filters.
"Witness a strike capable of slaying a god!" the armored Player shouted, seizing the moment!
The other two Players could only retreat to the side with suppressed envy. Their current roles were auxiliary armor meant to support the God-Slayer; they were destined to be sidekicks. However, they didn't dare show any dissatisfaction. Every action they took was being watched by the high-level Game Architects. If they did anything to jeopardize the mission, their main bodies would be liquidated immediately!
The God-Slayer beckoned with one hand, and an oddly shaped conical lance appeared in his grip. As he grasped it, the weapon let out a resonant hum. Countless special effects danced as he raised the tip and aimed it at his enemies.
A terrifying blaze erupted from his chest—the armor's way of notifying him that the God-Slayer strike had finished charging.
Without a moment's hesitation.
He transformed into a streak of light and leaped into the high heavens. This strike became a Crimson Meteor, letting out a shrill, whistling roar as it trailed wind-breaking flames.
This was the God-Slayer strike, a final cry of death delivered on behalf of a god!
In the next instant, the world seemed to lose all color. Absolute power reduced this entire district to fine powder; not even the skeletons of the buildings remained.
There was only the silence of annihilation, capable of extinguishing all things.
However, the Game Architects knew that the "Tech Core" would not be destroyed by this strike.
That was an unknown creation capable of sparking a second technological revolution. How could it possibly be destroyed by the derivative power of the Terminal of Myriad Worlds, which shared the same technological heart?