Chapter 929: The Association's Dilemma
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 929: The Association's Dilemma
"What did you say? All four are critically injured and unconscious, with delayed-trigger curses on them?" Outside the infirmary, a wizard apprentice felt his blood pressure spike to the point of a near-hemorrhage upon hearing the news.
"Yes, the patients are in critical condition. Please... Hey! Sir, please do not intrude—"
"What do you think you're doing?" Xing Anlei swiped away her private chat panel and stepped forward to block the group of wizard apprentices.
"What am I doing? We should be asking what you witches are up to! What is the meaning of this?"
"What could we possibly mean? We didn't want this to happen to the injured any more than you did. Do you think we don't want to get intelligence as soon as possible?" Xing Anlei stood her ground. Facing several wizard apprentices of roughly her own level, she didn't show a hint of intimidation.
"Who knows if you already got the intel in advance..."
"Your Wizard Academy people were watching them the entire way here. They fell into comas one after another the moment they reached the infirmary. Which of your eyes saw us getting any intel? If you keep causing trouble, I’ll make you realize exactly whose home turf you’re standing on!"
Following this threat, the expressions of the wizard apprentices turned ugly.
They didn't dare cause a scene here—this was the infirmary!
If they started a riot, there would be hell to pay. At that point, a crowd of "friends" of the various unknown patients in the infirmary would likely emerge and beat them senseless under the pretext of "disturbing their friends' recovery."
They had seen the witches' methods before and fully believed they were capable of such things.
Thus, even though they had no evidence, they harbored a "reasonable" suspicion that the comas and the so-called curses were all a self-directed play by the witches... only the casualties belonged to the wizards!
They had to stay calm.
The witches must be doing this for a reason. Had they already discovered the ruins and were now just stalling for time?
But... how was that possible?
And yet, the reality was right in front of them.
After calming down, they reached two conclusions.
If the goal was to use those guys' comas to stall for time, then either the witches had obtained the location data in advance, or... they had a way to get it now!
Using the process of elimination, they leaned toward the latter.
"Hmph... don't think your schemes will succeed."
The wizards spat out their parting threats and led their group away, leaving only a few apprentices behind to monitor the situation. They needed to head back and devise a counter-strategy for the witches' tricks.
If the witches really had the information, they would definitely go looking for the site. The wizards would just have to send people to tail them. There was always a way to deal with these petty maneuvers.
* * *
Meanwhile, Tan Han and her team were at the Ice Crystal Temple.
After receiving "off-site support," the entire Ice Crystal Temple had been covered by a massive ice maze.
Indeed, the previous ice camouflage spells were merely techniques Tan Han had seen before. Since they had asked for help, they naturally needed a more foolproof method. Since they were already "cheating," why not aim higher?
This ultra-large ice maze was a massive composite spell composed of thirty-two alchemical items. It was pieced together using disassembly techniques from the Great Glacial Throne Technique Great Spellbook as a guide.
Because they had not yet mastered Real Editing Technology, these thirty-two "fragments" could not be merged into a single, complete spellbook. Instead, this composite spell relied on Spell Solidification.
Furthermore, because it was a temporary creation, it could only be used once—or three times at the absolute limit. Theoretically, Tan Han and the others only had two chances for error.
Fortunately, under precise guidance, they succeeded on their first try.
Thus, this vast ice maze now stood here. It possessed powerful cloaking capabilities, allowing it to blend easily into the snowy environment. Moreover, it could withstand attacks from Standard Consumption Spellbooks.
Of course, if such a powerful spell were contained within a proper spellbook, its defensive power would be even greater. However, spellbooks for this kind of magic generally didn't circulate within the academy. Or rather, no finished spellbooks existed; there was only relevant research data.
Its primary function was to trap enemies. While it certainly wasn't as formidable as the spatial labyrinth in the Experimental Zone, it was more than enough to trap anyone below the Transcendent level.
Even if someone attempted large-scale destruction inside, the team could consume mana to perform spell repairs. With a small team featuring two members who possessed self-generated mana, maintaining the existence of an ice maze was incredibly easy.
At the center of the vast area protected by the maze stood the spectacular Ice Crystal Temple!
In truth, the building wasn't exactly "grand" in the traditional sense. Its main structure consisted of ritual altars built from ice and snow. The first to be constructed was the central main altar.
Ultimately, their King would be born here!
Tan Han stared blankly at the massive ice crystal in the center. A royal of the Ancient Remnant Ice would be born here...
"Wait... Lie, you said the King is 'born' here? Don't you usually select a clansman with Kingly traits and crown them?" Tan Han asked, puzzled.
"We select a clansman with Kingly traits for the coronation, and then, accompanied by the power of ice and snow, they are sacrificed to the purest Glacial Original Crystal. If the ritual succeeds, the King will awaken there!"
"This... is this 'becoming' a King? It sounds more like 'creating' a King."
"You could understand it that way. The sole purpose for the existence of us fragmented Ancient Remnant Ice is to welcome the return of the King. Just as mobs offer everything to the guards, and guards maintain the glory of the royalty, we royalty welcome the return of the King. This is our destiny, and the reason for our existence." Lie spoke as if this were the natural order of things.
"Then you will also..."
"I will naturally become a part of the King's power. We believe the King will lead us to an even more glorious era once again!"
At this, not only Tan Han fell silent, but the others did as well.
Although Lie hadn't been traveling with them for long and rarely spoke, seeing them willing to sacrifice their very lives just so their King could awaken... it was moving. They were girls, after all, and their capacity for empathy was strong.
Tan Han couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but she felt as though there was something inside that massive ice crystal, which had been carved like a work of art.
But she didn't dwell on it. The crystal vessel meant to gestate the King of the Ancient Remnant Ice was bound to be special. Moreover, it was covered in inscriptions and strange patterns that were far beyond her understanding.
* * *
While the construction of the Ice Crystal Temple within the maze was in full swing, events in another world were continuing to escalate.
To satisfy my need to "plant trees," the Real Protection Association had gifted me one of the few central parks in the city.
After their previous negotiation, they had immediately looked up information regarding the Omni-Link Main Network Tree within Star of Sin. Once they confirmed how large the tree would grow and its other uses, they felt they had a handle on the situation.
After all, no matter how massive a tree was, it would take time to grow. By the time it reached maturity, it was anyone's guess whether they would still be cooperating with this Calamity Witch.
But clearly... they had miscalculated.
Before the second round of cooperation talks had even been finalized, they had sincerely invited me to the site. Under the witness of both parties, I planted the Omni-Link Main Network Tree.
They were eager to push the cooperation forward because they had quickly faced retaliation from the Infinite Group. The scattered harassment and sabotage from those vanguard players were causing them immense trouble.
To be honest, they weren't afraid of those guys causing trouble or seeking revenge in the city; they were only afraid of a lightning-fast decapitation strike. If that happened, they would be finished.
Local harassment in the city only meant the deaths of a few ordinary people. After some compensation, a bit of hate-mongering, and some public opinion manipulation, the matter would be settled as far as the high-ranking members of the Real Protection Association were concerned.
However, they never expected that the planted Omni-Link Main Network Tree would grow at a visible rate in just a few short days!
In an instant, it became a rare spectacle within the city. To maintain order, the peacekeepers had to cordone off the area to prevent massive congestion.
Since the Real Protection Association took over the city, the peacekeepers and their agencies had become nothing more than tools for the Association. After all, they were just people working for a paycheck; who would risk their lives for their masters?
It didn't matter who they worked for. Even if the Real Protection Association were eventually kicked out of Igesuo Surface City, the peacekeepers would still be doing the same jobs.
Concepts like loyalty or professional honor had long since been discarded in the development of this world.
The elites of the game world didn't care about the development of the world; they only cared about holding onto power. If they had spared even a glance for the common people, they wouldn't have used game modes and game logic to dominate a world, a society, and a civilization.
This world didn't record history. I had searched through many records, only to find that historical stories had devolved into something akin to mythology. Eventually, they were commercialized and turned into virtual games for the bottom-layer people to play on the Terminal of Myriad Worlds.
The few names remaining from history were gradually turned into entertainment, subjected to fan-fictions, and eventually "feminized" to satisfy the most primitive desires and needs of the masses...
Because they didn't understand the importance of history or the necessity of learning from it, this was the civilization that had ultimately been born.
One could see how insane the original Infinite Group had become after seizing power over an entire world. Those who had never tasted the sweetness of power gradually became possessed by it. Ultimately, that power followed the flow of bloodlines down to the present day.
But regardless, when the tide rises, even a pig can fly. The Infinite Group remained the largest power broker in this world. Even if it was in a state of constant decline, it wasn't something a few small fry could shake.
Currently, Igesuo Surface City faced immense pressure from two sides.
On one hand was the pressure from the Infinite Group. They did not recognize the independence of this city led by the Real Protection Association, nor did they have any intention of negotiating. However, hindered by the power and terrifying methods of the "Calamity Witch," they could only resort to constant probing and harassing attacks.
On the other hand was the greed of other resistance forces!
This was the first independent surface city!
If nothing went wrong, this would become the "beacon" for all scattered resistance forces in the world from now on. Chaotic regions or the "hanging districts" beneath the rifts simply couldn't compare to a surface city.
Of course, most of the damage was actually caused by visitors from outside the world.
Along with a communication prompt from the Great Knowledge Seed, a message from Tang En arrived once again.
"Is there something this time? I haven't noticed anyone invading Igesuo Surface City," I said as soon as I connected.
As the Omni-Link Main Network Tree took root in Igesuo Surface City, its root network was gradually spreading. Although it was being constantly optimized and bolstered by the city's ley lines, it was still impossible for it to cover the entire city in just a few days.
The reason I knew no one had come was because of the results of my Qi Observation.
The movement of those vanguard players dragged their luck along with them; they couldn't possibly escape my eyes. As for visitors from other worlds, they were constantly monitored by the World Will. Although they couldn't manipulate luck, any major action they took would cause abnormal fluctuations in the luck of the world.
Take me, for example. My presence in Igesuo Surface City was like a massive spotlight of luck hovering over the entire city. It couldn't be more obvious.
"It's like this, Lady Calamity Witch. A group of elders within the Association has emerged who doubt the functionality of your Omni-Link Main Network Tree. Their next moves might be directed at you..."
"Oh?" I interrupted him, somewhat surprised.
I had to admit that Tang En was quite capable. After our last meeting, he had brought me a wealth of data about this world. And this time was even more interesting.
I hadn't told him anything about the Omni-Link Main Network Tree. But he was sharp; he had come to me to play the informant.
"Yes. I was also afraid these elders from the advisory board would ruin your arrangements, my Lady..."
"It's fine. If even you could guess, it's no surprise they're suspicious. Their proposals are likely just minor annoyances anyway. Is that why you contacted me?"
"Of course not. There's something else. The Association has been in contact with a large number of other outsiders lately. The Chairman, the high-ranking officials, and many elders feel that you alone might not be enough to ensure their safety. Moreover, they know you wouldn't lower yourself to act as their private bodyguard."
"I know that." I nodded. I had already observed those outsiders contacting the Real Protection Association through Qi Observation. Since they hadn't asked for help, I hadn't bothered with them.
But I hadn't expected so many of them to be seeking asylum.
"If they're worried, let them hire bodyguards. It's not like I'm stopping them."
"No, Lady Calamity Witch, you might not realize the severity of the problem," Tang En's tone grew urgent as he hurried to explain.
"Those outsiders who came to us... they have unanimously agreed that you should be expelled. It's as if they've all conspired together. They claim that if the Association agrees, they will become the new guardians. There are more of them, and many of their experts claim their strength is not inferior to yours."