Chapter 541: Crisis Averted
“Oh~ Have you thought about the consequences of doing this?” Hearing the firmness in their tone, I was quite surprised.
I was also curious about what could drive these guys to such madness.
In this brief moment, I had gathered some information from the identification technique.
This didn’t seem to be the main battlefield; the information was sparse. I only knew that this was an edge area of a terrifying explosion, and Tan Han… no, I should say Store Manager Shali brought Tan Han here to escape.
Then here, she was supposed to cast a teleportation spell to return to the academy, but the Store Manager’s spell failed, causing a backlash from both mental power and magic, ultimately leading to their predicament.
In my view, their encounter seemed rather unfortunate; perhaps luck was also a contributing factor.
However… at this moment, I was confident in protecting them.
So I handed some potions to Shali and Tan Han to help recover their injuries in front of them.
“We know what we’re doing, but some things must be done, even if it’s just to try,” one of the players said.
Their tone carried a hint of invincible confidence, as if the nuclear bombs gave them absolute assurance, and they seemed to believe that I wouldn’t disregard the lives of ordinary people.
“Try… that phrase sounds a bit lacking in confidence.” I gestured for Shali to remain silent, standing up again to approach the two.
“Of course, this is a consideration of the unknown magic in your possession, but in the end, we just need one thing. If you are willing to make a decision for this young girl, then we are also willing to leave this world completely.”
“What thing?” I asked with curiosity.
However, I didn’t believe their words about leaving this world, and even if they wanted to leave, it wouldn’t be up to them.
“One thing, similar to a crown made of ice crystals. Your world cannot comprehend what this object is or its value; it is merely…” This player wanted to say more, but their speaking privileges were cut off, as going further would involve information that the game architects were unwilling to reveal.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t disclose any more information.”
“I can tell this seems to involve your principles. You can’t make any compromises, so… let’s return to the initial question~” When I said this, they felt an inexplicable pressure that seemed to pierce through their armored protection, making them momentarily dizzy at the sight of me, “Do you think as a witch, I would care about the lives and deaths of ordinary people?”
“You!”
Hearing my question, they quickly forced themselves to calm down. Just a moment ago, they felt a moment of instability in their account connection, but after hearing what I said, they knew… the worst-case scenario was about to occur.
The most feared aspect of threatening strategies is those who are fearless; they understood little of this world and only knew that extraordinary power does not spread to ordinary people. If extraordinary beings do not regard ordinary people as human, then their preparations and threats were a joke.
However, this world had stepped into the development phase of modern civilization, seeming not to be a world that disrespects human rights, so they felt conflicted. Yet, the fact that they could still negotiate indicated there was room for maneuver.
Even those game architects at this moment held a pessimistic view about obtaining what they wanted this time, only requesting that they extract some more information from this “Catastrophe Witch.”
In truth, they didn’t want to activate the nuclear bombs right now because the players hadn’t spread out on a large scale, and without players harvesting soul materials, they would just return to the world’s cycle. They didn’t want to waste such resources.
“I don’t believe you don’t care about the lives of ordinary people.” Ultimately, they still attempted to negotiate.
They remembered the bird men with wings behind them.
Not long ago, that guy had used this as an excuse to stand on a moral high ground, directly criticizing the other side. How could they not care about lives?
So they wanted to fight for a little more here.
…
While these two players debated with the Knowledge Shadow, I had already left that broken building and stepped outside.
Just now, I had tested the depths of these players, realizing their use of fortune was profound yet crude.
To illustrate, it’s as if a civilization has come into contact with and used nuclear materials; at first glance, it seems impressive! But upon closer inspection, they found they were forging swords from nuclear fuel to enchant cold weapons, reflecting that gap.
Now I understood why Principal Beif Alanna and the others cared so little about these players; their understanding and application of fortune were entirely built upon this “Extraordinary Knowledge,” and I could directly send them away with ease.
So, with a slight adjustment to their “internet connection,” I could make them unaware of the momentary switch between their bodies and the Knowledge Shadow. After all, this was a complicated task that I couldn’t yet accomplish within the fastest human reaction time.
However, the nuclear bombs left behind were indeed a major problem; this wasn’t something that could be resolved by disconnecting their “internet.” If they became desperate, it could also lead to considerable trouble.
But according to the Earth Vein Identification Technique, these nuclear bombs were still constructed upon their mastery of the power system of “Extraordinary Knowledge.”
What they referred to as “Extraordinary Pixels” was capable of replicating nuclear bombs through extraordinary means, thereby unleashing terrifying explosions.
I didn’t know why they went through such unnecessary trouble, but it likely related to how they understood “Extraordinary Knowledge.”
As for why the Earth Vein Identification Technique could glean this information… that’s naturally because they weren’t beings from the material plane that had arrived in the main world; they were still controlling bodies that belonged to this world.
As long as there were Earth Vein Shackles within their shells, my understanding of them was a dimensional strike.
The only pity was that this identification couldn’t read their minds unless they spoke, expressed, and recorded it through Earth Vein information, at which point I could check.
And their so-called “tasks” were directly issued by that system, but they would communicate among themselves, allowing them to obtain information so easily.
Their so-called multiple nuclear bombs were in reality just one, a bargaining chip for intimidation, which was initially meant to be used directly against Shali.
So I was out to dismantle it directly; I disliked being threatened.
As my gaze swept over the distant area leveled to the ground, I felt a chill and was also struck by the cruelty of those players towards ordinary people.
I shifted my gaze from the central scene that resembled a breathtaking frozen landscape because I knew I had more important matters to attend to.
With the city 3D model obtained from the Earth Vein Identification Technique unfolding before me, I marked the targeted location, along with plotted routes.
However, I didn’t have the luxury of time to get there following the navigation; I chose to use spatial teleportation instead.
The place where the explosion had originally occurred didn’t have real-time terrain updates, instead becoming a blurred area. As the Earth Veins gradually stabilized, the shapes began to recover bit by bit, though this process was slow.
The earlier explosion that I hadn’t witnessed in person had affected the Earth Veins in that area, meaning the Earth Veins were disturbed by high-energy extraordinary power, given the energy levels involved.
But that didn’t mean the Earth Vein information was lost here.
The Earth Vein information still existed, though it had become exceptionally chaotic.
If they wanted to utilize this information, it would be like playing a three-dimensional puzzle that had exploded over a vast area—just the restoration could take many days.
At this moment, on Tan Han’s side.
Shali looked at the two individuals referred to as “players” or “Pioneer Excavators” by Xiao Han and was taken aback as they talked to the air for a while.
However, she had almost completed the regeneration of her right arm with the help of the potions and her own undying quality.
Even Tan Han was quite surprised at this scene; although she had learned about it during her earlier spar with the senior, she thought Shali’s recovery was fast—now it had exceeded her understanding!
Yet, Shali couldn’t explain things to her at the moment. She didn’t know what kind of means Xiao Han had used on the other party, but it was most likely an illusion, so they could not allow her efforts to go to waste. They couldn’t make any movements that might give the other side an opportunity to see through the illusion.
However, the players were still engrossed in extracting information and applying mutual pressure, especially as their lie detection module kept analyzing whether they were lying, resulting in a back-and-forth measure. They continued silently gathering intelligence without revealing their aim.
What they didn’t know was that… the Knowledge Shadow was constructed upon their subconscious cognitions and was built based on what they wanted to know, therefore allowing them access to a wealth of information they mistakenly believed to be significant, fundamentally a contest of wits between themselves.
Originally, this mutually agreeable game was going well until they received mad alerts from the team member in charge of placing the nuclear bomb and the game architects in the back, causing them to change expression drastically!
The position of the technician who placed the nuclear bomb was exposed, and in an instant, they were killed!
Control authority over the nuclear bomb was lost!
This series of events happened so quickly that they didn’t react in time.
However, upon hearing the news, they calmed down.
Previously, they had been dragging out time for their plans, but now the Catastrophe Witch used the same tactics as them, causing them to lose their only bargaining chip!
The deceased team member had also not transmitted any footage from the game’s architect back, indicating that the power gap on the opposing side was too great, and they had been eliminated in an instant.
In a flash, both of them broke out in a cold sweat; without the nuclear deterrent, they found their own safety somewhat difficult to guarantee, and even their voices carried a tremor.
At this moment, for them, it was not just a game; apart from their bodies not dying, what they experienced was reality!
“What’s wrong? Your faces seem to have turned very pale; weren’t you just chatting happily?”
Seeing the expression on the young girl before them, their faces immediately became awkward. This teasing demeanor was entirely different from before… the only explanation was…
She knew!
“Not speaking… is it because you’re feeling unsteady? Or are you… out of contact with that nuclear bomb? Then may I ask what you plan to use to threaten me?”
“Did you do this?” After taking a few deep breaths, the player who had been negotiating with the Knowledge Shadow quickly calmed down. After all, he was a skilled player; he still possessed some mental resilience.
“Yes, now I’m giving you three seconds to run. If you can escape, it’s your luck; if not… then get back to your world!”
“Three!”
“Run!”
Upon hearing the Knowledge Shadow indeed begin the countdown, they made their decision instantly, not daring to hesitate for a moment.
The other party was mercilessly flipping the table!
At this moment, all they wanted to do was curse. Indeed, one shouldn’t negotiate with unreasonable women; anyone who makes you uncomfortable will simply flip the table—who can withstand that?
As for those two young girls… please, they couldn’t even guarantee their own safety before the witch and still wanted to lay their sights on the two?
Now, all they desired was to escape for their lives. If possible, they naturally wanted to save their skins.
But as they bolted out, they ran straight into me, who had just returned.
Seeing the illogical figure in their escape route, they instinctively looked behind them, only to find no sign of the Catastrophe Witch anywhere.
When they turned back again, a searing ray of heat pierced through their heads, even the full-face armored mask couldn’t block the spell’s penetration and breaking effect.
As they watched the two fall, their equipment gradually transformed into extraordinary pixels and vanished, revealing the ordinary clothes they originally wore.
These two individuals were just ordinary people in the main world. Who could have imagined that they would become puppets causing a massive paralysis of a city?
This is what being an ordinary person is.
Without any human rights, they died without knowing what happened; they had no capability to respond to danger, merely ants under the wheels of great power.
I killed the two players without mercy, not hesitating a bit.
I wasn’t concerned about the players struggling through difficulties at the start or the poor gaming experience; those were matters for the game architects of that world to consider.
I wondered if when they invaded the main world in large numbers, they would encounter those rebellious members of the Real Protection Association; I had some thoughts of them. The summoning rituals I conducted earlier had gone unattempted by anyone in that world… such a pity.
It seemed I needed to find a different way to transmit this summoning ritual to that world.
Stepping over the two corpses, I came to Tan Han’s side.
“Sorry, I dealt with some trouble. Now I’ll take you back to the academy.” I approached to help Shali up; earlier, I noticed her right arm was severed, and now it had fully regenerated. I had to say, Shali’s life level was indeed somewhat terrifying.
“Thank you, Xiao Han… no need, I can stand up by myself… if it weren’t for you stepping in, we might have…”
“Not at all, just a small effort. But Store Manager, how did you end up here and encounter these crazies?” I spoke as I opened the teleportation portal.
The other side of the teleportation portal led straight to the Medical Room of the Witch Academy. This teleportation mark was the same as when I was sent there last time; I didn’t expect it to be used so soon.
“This… that’s a long story…” Shali rubbed her temple, feeling quite a headache. At this point, it wasn’t just the pain from the earlier backlash; it was the surreal sensation from the multiple twists and turns culminating in this moment.
However, I still comforted Shali, not forcing her to explain right now. It was best to focus on resting and recuperating for now, and the same went for Tan Han.
Upon arriving at the Medical Room and coordinating with the instructors here, I went to the private room prepared specifically for the two of them.
Even though Shali had undying qualities to restore her body, the body couldn’t endure this level of exhaustion. Do they really think undying qualities are omnipotent?
Undying qualities exist for life to continue, and for that, they can pay any price.
And that price for “any price” can cause the most significant self-harm.
“Alright, Store Manager Shali and Tan Han, you just rest assured and recover. I know you must have many questions, but coincidentally, I have a lot of free time right now, and I will selectively answer your doubts.”
I waved my hand gently, employing a cleaning spell to sweep away some invisible dust. I then sat down, seeing their hesitant expressions, and laughed lightly as I spoke.
