Chapter 343
Eivass’s Experiment (Third Update)
Little Sherlock sighed and shook his head, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “And then?”
“After that, I met others, but none of them were friendly.”
Haina fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply. “It was like the end of the world… We were short on resources, with danger everywhere. There was no one to trust, and companions would occasionally go mad or get sick. Sometimes the corrupted Shadow Legion would search the wilderness for survivors, or the ground would suddenly become corrupted, turning safe areas into dangerous ones. We had to abandon the resources we’d gathered and flee to safer havens.
I was constantly on the run, but I couldn’t even find a Priest. I could only use medicines that I didn’t even know how to use to deal with things… Some companions even died under our care. The daughter of that woman who was dismembered by the Demon Scholar.
That day… no, for those few days, the atmosphere in the camp was incredibly oppressive. I only saw three Ascenders in total, but everyone seemed to be in bad shape, full of wariness and hostility. I was the only one with civilians; they seemed to have other missions… though we didn’t exchange information.
We got into fights, but they weren’t fatal. They didn’t even leave wounds… It was a mutual understanding. And I also met other people and expanded my team. Six people became four, then twelve, and finally seven.
Haina sighed, “I didn’t even see the powerful enemies from the mission. Just surviving was already an all-out effort… A mere Third Tier was nothing in the face of such a large-scale disaster. And hilariously, I still managed to get the first place in points. Because everyone else either died earlier or had fewer points…”
As she spoke, a silvery white radiance shone in Haina’s pupils. Her expression turned resolute, and she bit her lip. “I must change that unfortunate future—”
“Hey, Senior.”
Eivass suddenly spoke, his tone not at all heavy. “In that future, did you see me?”
“…No?”
Although she was answering, her tone was more like a question. Haina replied quickly, not as if recalling, clearly having had the same doubt herself.
“Then did you see Sherlock? And what about Lixia?” Eivass pressed.
“…No.”
Haina fell silent for a moment, then gave a definitive answer. “I once tried to find Lixia, wanting to see… if I could ask her to take care of those people by claiming I was her student. But I was told that Meg had already died. They hadn’t heard of Lixia—nor had they heard of you. As for Sherlock, some people knew of him, but they all said you weren’t here.
I tried to find Director Kent, but he was already dead; I wanted to find Bishop, but he wasn’t there either. The people of the Lloyd Society left the Lloyd District and occupied more than half of the ruined Glass Island… but they weren’t running dogs of the Star Antimony people. Instead, they offered a degree of resistance against the Star Antimony people and the Shadow invasion.
However, I did find Madam Mina—or rather, she found me when she realized I was looking for her. Speaking of which, she’s a Fourth Tier Prophet!” Haina suddenly recalled this piece of information and quickly blurted it out.
…But seeing the calm expressions of the other three, she guessed that this was likely outdated information. “Madam Mina was very kind. Even though she said she didn’t know any ‘Haina,’ she was willing to take us in.” She then chuckled sheepishly and continued, “With her information, we avoided several instances of the Shadow Curse spreading. She also provided us with accommodation and food, helping me through the most difficult times. Later, when we had recovered a bit, we stopped bothering her. However, before we left, we still prepared enough fuel for her to get through the winter.”
“Then the situation is quite clear, isn’t it?” Eivass smiled and confirmed, “The future the Nine Pillar Gods made you experience couldn’t have appeared out of thin air. There must be some basis—and based on your words, I think it might be ‘a future without me’.”
“…What do you mean?” Haina hadn’t caught on yet. Despite her actions becoming much sharper and more decisive, her mind had actually become less effective. Considering this, it was likely that there was an overpowered brain in her team. She focused on utilizing her leadership skills, abandoning the use of her mind. The Mystical Art of the Path of Authority was called “Leadership,” and any high-level Extraordinary of the Path of Authority could immediately switch to being a qualified leader if the situation called for it.
“That makes sense.”
Sherlock, on the other hand, immediately reacted. “If you hadn’t survived those attacks by the Noble Red… you wouldn’t have met me. Then I wouldn’t have been attacked by the Lloyd Society, and thus wouldn’t have become acquainted with Bishop. Haina wouldn’t have come to deliver letters to me and met Madam Mina. Similarly… without you, the Lloyd Society wouldn’t have been eliminated. Miss Lily would have been assassinated, Minister Dross wouldn’t have been exposed, and the Star Antimony people’s intelligence advantage could have lasted until the very end. And without the Ritual you brought, Lord Meg would have died of old age… The Princess, unprotected, would likely have died as well, or perhaps been taken away by Lady Janis.”
At this point, Sherlock looked at Eivass with some surprise. He suddenly realized that Avalon’s current survival seemed to be closely related to Eivass! So, without Eivass, Avalon would ultimately face that kind of apocalyptic despair…
“Just by surviving alone, the future changes so drastically—” Sherlock muttered, lost in thought. As if to reward his deduction and contemplation, the power of the Path of Wisdom seeped into his mind, making him much clearer.
“Indeed,” Haina also perked up, “Because Eivass is here, the situation has changed completely—”
As she thought of this, she suddenly realized something. “Those people who fought you before… were those Noble Red people running dogs of the Star Antimony people?”
“That’s right.” Eivass answered readily.
—Although, strictly speaking, it might be a bit complicated. For example, there are many factions within the Noble Red, and those two Giants don’t get along well. And the Star Antimony people might not consider them their own… But explaining such things to Haina would be too difficult for her. Eivass gave a simplified answer: “They are traitors to Avalon.”
“Very good…” Haina gritted her teeth, having a clear goal. “Then when I return to Glass Island, I’ll apply to the higher-ups for a transfer—I’ll follow Grand Guardian first and completely eliminate those remnants of the Noble Red! I’ve obtained a golden Path Trait—I’m very strong now!”
“Very good. But before that, we’d best prepare ourselves.” Eivass reminded her. “It might be today, it might be tomorrow—we don’t know which evening, but that Punisher Demon will return. When he returns, he will definitely bring reinforcements from the Noble Red. We don’t have much else to do, so we can spend the whole day preparing.”
Fortunately, the barrier of Eagle Cape Village could protect them, roughly pinpointing the time of the enemy’s arrival. This at least wouldn’t put them at a disadvantage. After all, this village was personally solidified by Amber, and there were only two passages leading out of it. One must be entered at twilight, and the other required passing through the Fey Cave—and undoubtedly, Queen Titania would never allow these aesthetically unpleasing demons to pass through.
As for the Book of Law… it wouldn’t be too late to find it after the enemies were dealt with.
“Prepare something, like traps?” Haina asked subconsciously.
“I don’t think any trap would be effective against a Punisher Demon,” Eivass’s lips curved slightly. “However, I have prepared some wonderful magical tools for him.” If there was anything to prepare, it would naturally be the Great Sin Card used to seal the Punisher Demon. Once it lost its ability to resist, Eivass could forcibly seal it into the “Wheel of Fate” card, creating the [Equipment Card: Lightning Halberd].
Eivass wanted to conduct an experiment. In the game, equipment cards definitely couldn’t be used by teammates. These equipment cards were for strengthening the Beasts of Sin. But in reality… could Haina, who could also control lightning, safely wield this Phantom Halberd? If she could, could equipment cards made from other Phantom Demons also be given to teammates?
Update complete! My body is almost giving out… I wake up later and later each day, and deadlines are pushed back… Fortunately, the third update is almost finished. I’ll do one more tomorrow and prepare to end this explosive update period!
