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Chapter 127 - 125: "Guard?

Chapter 127: Chapter 125: "Guard?

Below the notebook, there was a short line of small characters, which looked slightly different from the previous handwriting, as if they had been newly added.

[...I originally intended only to record the past, yet I never imagined that one day, I too would need to seek help from the outside.]

[To the person who sees this diary, no matter who you are...]

[Please, you must go before "her" plaque and resolve the regrets of this wandering resentful spirit...]

[Wanting to fight but powerless to resist, wanting to escape but unable to escape...]

[...I have grown old, and am also nearly insane.]

...

[*Acquired Hidden Clue・Sharina’s Cry for Help Diary]

[Triggered S-rank Hidden Quest: The Pilgrim (Points reward given according to completion level)]

[Quest Description: ——Go to the front of her plaque, in front of her grave, to the place where she was still alive. She was once the most loyal, yet also most blindly devoted Pilgrim... but the truth only became clear to her when she fell into her coffin...]

[Notice: This is a single-player quest, only one player is allowed to enter the instance!]

[Notice: By completing the quest, you can obtain a crucial clue leading to the "Ultimate Secret"!]

[Notice: This quest is highly dangerous! Players are advised to proceed with caution.]

...

The moment he closed the notebook, a series of system alerts rang out beside Su Ming’an’s ear.

He looked towards Eni and Lv Shu, who were pondering beside him.

"Did you both receive the system alerts?" Su Ming’an said.

"Yes... The contents of the notebook are very vague, and the system alerts were also very vague," Lv Shu immediately responded:

"We don’t know who the "her" in the notebook is, nor where "before her plaque" mentioned in the quest prompt is... Although I am quite familiar with Sharina—she’s my Guide, the witch Sharina, but she cannot appear during the day."

Su Ming’an mulled over it. According to the records in the notebook by Sharina, she said she had "aged," even to the point of having white hair. Yet, on the first night, when he saw Sharina, this potion-playing woman still looked youthful and beautiful.

...Perhaps, Sharina, once a townsfolk, had long aged with the years, or even died.

The youthful Sharina, the guide during the night, possessing great strength to combat werewolves... she might no longer be a living person, but merely exist as a spiritual body.

He remembered, in this town, there existed beings known as "Deities."

The townfolk’s fanatical faith, exiling themselves at the mere word of a deity... Such extreme zealotry, even appearing somewhat crazed, left a deep impression on him.

"No, why are you fixated on this?" Eni’s urgent voice interrupted his thoughts: "—None of this is important! This is a PvP competitive instance, and we just need to kill all the players from the werewolf camp. Our situation is already very critical, and it’s not suitable to take on such a dangerous mission..."

He meant well, for the quest description indeed looked perilous.

Even the audience was somewhat puzzled... after all, they couldn’t see the "Ruler’s" quest prompts. To them, securing the final victory for the camp and proving the title of "Number One Player," seemed a far more reliable approach than solving some puzzle for high points.

"Let me clarify one thing," Su Ming’an looked at him: "For me, our situation is not that critical right now."

Eni glanced at the four people present, asking him with his eyes—Are you sure?

Without counting Adolf who had left... In a four versus four ratio, he really didn’t know how to turn the tables.

"Second," Su Ming’an continued: "This instance isn’t just a simple twelve-person PvP."

"And third," he patted Eni’s shoulder: "...Mind your own business, and don’t interfere with my actions."

A clearly annoyed expression surfaced on Eni’s face, but he curbed it back.

It was as if he had grown up in the face of adversity; he knew that no one would indulge him any longer.

"Lv Shu, I’ll come to see you tonight to arrange the target of the poisoning," Su Ming’an turned his head and added, "Meanwhile, I need to talk to Sharina about this town."

"Where are you going?" Lv Shu immediately asked.

"...I think I can guess who ’she’ is, and I can probably guess where that mission is located," Su Ming’an stroked his chin thoughtfully, "So, I am somewhat confident about this instance."

"Wait, wait, I think this is no longer just your personal action," Eni promptly interjected, his face flushed as he spoke with a mix of fear and necessity, "This is a factional conflict, you are a prophetic cleric and currently the person with the highest combat power in our good faction, if you die in the instance because of this mission, we will completely lose hope. Even if you won’t consider it for yourself, you should think about the outcome for the whole faction and the audience supporting you—"

As he spoke, he saw the person in front of him suddenly laugh.

Indeed, humans themselves aren’t so different from the stories in instances because of factions, there are always those who are forcefully targeted in the name of righteousness..." Su Ming’an laughed joyfully and seemed to want to continue, but soon he paused midsentence and his smile faded.

It was as if something was forcefully suppressed.

"...Forget it," he waved his hand dismissively, "Talking about this is pointless. Find a place to stick together, don’t worry, you’ll be fine."

As he spoke, he turned around, a blood-stained white mask appearing in his hand, which he placed over his face, leaving those standing there behind as he walked away.

Lv Shu watched him, his feet moved slightly, but he did not follow.

Eni was still confused on the side, "...What was he talking about, why did he stop? Hey, hey, I managed to influence him, right? Lv Shu, you don’t want him to die either, right? I can’t persuade him alone, you persuade him too—"

Lv Shu glanced at him and then lowered his head.

"No, he is a good person, and good people can accomplish anything," Lv Shu said confidently, then no longer paid attention to the frantic Eni and instead gazed intently toward Yamada Machiichi.

The girl in the blue dress looked up at them, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her skirt.

Her entire body was tense, her expression full of vigilance.

"Yamada Machiichi." Lv Shu said, as the Mantis silently leaped onto his shoulder.

He slightly tilted his head, pondering the name with a tone that was intriguingly slow, "—you are not a Guard."

Yamada Machiichi’s body shook, she raised her head, her defensive posture like that of a hedgehog bristling with quills.

"You might think you’ve fooled us, but I have never trusted you," Lv Shu said, the Mantis on his shoulder stirring, its blade glinting in the sunlight with a sharp gleam, his gaze extremely assertive, "—do not delude yourself into thinking you can deceive us, even if you appear as someone abandoned by the werewolves."

"What?" Eni looked at the girl, quickly realizing, "You mean he is not a Guard? Impossible, then where is the real Guard..."

"Eni," Lv Shu spoke, his voice carrying an edge as sharp and clear as a blade that could turn any speculation into certainty, "—we might already be surrounded by werewolves."

The number of werewolves might now be "greater" than the good people.

...Good people, specifically—those who can still belong to the good faction and stand on the side of the good faction as "good people."

Eni thought back carefully, suddenly breaking out in a cold sweat.

Regardless of how Lv Shu knew Yamada Machiichi was not the Guard, from Yamada Machiichi’s reaction, what Lv Shu said seemed true.

Then, carefully considering... if the Guard is not Yamada Machiichi, then the Guard could only be in the group moving forward with the werewolves.

The Guard is moving forward with the werewolves.

...

The Guard has[defected].

...

"Those belonging to the werewolf faction," now completely outnumber, "those belonging to the good people faction."

Eni’s breathing grew heavier, feeling like he was being overwhelmed by a tide of fear that surged over him.

The first day, the ordinary citizen Andre was exiled innocently.

The second day, the strongest combat power in the good guys’ camp, a Hunter with firearms, was exiled by an overwhelming number of votes.

Citizen Mizushima Haru rebelled.

Citizen Adolf, angered, departed.

The Guard defected.

The Witch had only poison left.

Eni clenched his fists, struggling a bit as he lifted his head to look at the mahogany table in Banishment Square.

The bright red candle flame had already extinguished, the candles standing silent and still.

Suddenly he thought of the figure he had seen just before.

They still had... a Prophet.

A Prophet who rushed into the toughest instance, courting death.

"No," Lv Shu said, as if seeing through his thoughts, his voice calm, "Su Ming’an isn’t going to die, he saw further ahead than us all."

"You mean..." Eni suddenly realized something.

But he couldn’t utter his thoughts.

Around them, the previously quiet square suddenly filled with the sound of footsteps.

The "Werewolves" who had initially departed had now returned here, carrying with them the energy fluctuations of just-ended combat.

Eni quickly realized something.

—When the number of Werewolf Players truly exceeded that of the good guys, once the strongest combat power, Su Ming’an, left, they, the few remaining good Players... would inevitably face being besieged.

"Hehehe! Why disperse at a time like this—!" Mizushima Haru burst forth first, her body wrapped in invisible wind, allowing her to glide over as if flying at low altitude.

She was still carrying a scent of bloodshed, indicating the likely elimination of Adolf who had chased after her.

Mizushima Kawa Sora walked slowly, picking up the Black Blade, her lips curling up slightly, her mood very good.

...After confirming that Mizushima Haru and the Guard were going to rebel, the Wolves really held an overwhelming advantage.

After dealing with Adolf who had pursued them, their numbers had grown greater than those of the good guys, not to mention, there was also a fool who had voluntarily left.

...It was simply handing them an opportunity.

They weren’t foolish enough to disperse forces to intercept Su Ming’an, given the scene from the previous night where he had single-handedly bested three of them still vivid in their minds.

Now, the four of them had gathered just to deal with the remaining good Players.

—Leaving only a single, fiercely fighting Prophet.

Initially, she hadn’t believed Su Ming’an was really a Prophet, since his exchange of identities with Lv Shu on the first day, and his outrageous implication about investigating Andre had been too absurd, but now everything was clear—indeed, it was that man’s doing.

"So, among you, who is the defected Guard?" Lv Shu looked as though he wasn’t feeling the imminent crisis, his gaze slowly sweeping over the few who approached him—Mizushima Kawa Sora, Mizushima Haru, Iris, Lin Jiang.

[Guard Clue] used "she."

But among those who approached, the three werewolves and one Guard, all were female.

Making it impossible for him to determine which one was the defected Guard.

He should have considered the "external factors" of this match, with Edward, the religious Hunter, even capable of opposing the true Prophet for personal desires, why couldn’t there be other possible defections among religious ranks?

...This competition was never just a straightforward struggle between [good Players] and [Werewolf Players].

It merely concerned whether or not individuals cared about winning or losing.

Once it aligned with personal desires, the actual identities assigned to them... didn’t matter to them in the slightest.

"Su Ming’an was very right," Lv Shu said, "I should have seen this clearly sooner."

Now, it was four against three... no, very possibly five against two.

Yamada Machiichi might also be with this group, otherwise there was no need for her to admit she was a Guard.

...When exactly did the situation start deteriorating to this extent?

"Come, to celebrate the ultimate victory of Lady Sister—"

Mizushima Haru took the lead, her laughter exceedingly manic, the wind blades around her starting to rotate chaotically, dancing around her.

The wind around her grew stronger, even beginning to blur vision, her blood-red hair wildly dancing, her armed teammates behind her.

"—Die, all of you."

"It’s over," Eni sighed lightly, a golden-hued flame ascending from his body, reflecting the distinct nature of the First World, as he faced this situation with nothing left but to fight desperately.

"No," Lv Shu released the giant butterflies, their wings spreading like an energy shield, blocking the incoming attacks, albeit nearly shattering.

He looked ahead, against the relentless winds, his expression resolute.

"...We still have hope."

...

Mizushima Kawa Sora was continuously pondering one thing.

...Why Su Ming’an chose to leave these people, what precisely was the reason.

She wouldn’t believe that this person hadn’t considered this level of threat, allowing the last good Players to be killed by them.

Therefore, she remained vigilant, cautious.

Because she had experienced this guy’s cunning, she wouldn’t overlook any factors she hadn’t considered.

In the front, Mizushima Haru laughed maniacally, apparently very indulged in the thrill of "doing everything for Lady Sister," the Guard in the team performing her duty diligently, revealing no signs of compassion.

But the Prophet among the good guys’ camp, the Prophet of bizarre actions... where exactly had he gone?

Mizushima Kawa Sora was continuously pondering this question.

Not until she saw numerous figures appearing at the edge of the square, watching them rush over with pitchforks and sickles, witnessing the Mayor with the Dragon Head Cane walking slowly... did she finally understand what the Prophet had gone to do.

"Stop, travelers from the outside world," the Mayor approached with his cane, his body coated in a faint golden glow like a protective membrane, splitting the sides of the battle confidently as he stepped into the center.

Mizushima Kawa Sora, seeing the Mayor, who had always seemed indifferent, suddenly intervening, vaguely realized something.

...Indeed, Su Ming’an wasn’t going to his death.

He had seen through the current scenario.

He was... seeking help from NPCs.

As stated on the World Forum.

...

This guy—really favored by NPCs.

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