Chapter 34: The Enemy of My Enemy (Fourth Update)
After Baha's initial account, everyone had a general understanding of the Ancient God. As for the issue of trust, there was no need to worry about that. With things having developed to the current situation, internal conflict would mean the group was close to disbanding.
"You mean the Ancient God, using the power of the world, formed a kind of protection. This protection has a very fragile side, and all that's needed is for a specific person to shatter that fragile side?"
After Viper understood the current situation, he interlocked his fingers, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses.
"Someone favored by the world... this kind of person seems to have appeared in my memory. She often survives certain death situations, living through them in miraculous ways. Back then, her awakening as a Hunter was itself a miracle. She's like... a child of this world, someone favored by fate."
Viper had strong comprehension. Baha couldn't explicitly mention the World Child, but under this vague description, Viper was just one step away from directly saying the words 'World Child.' This made Baha suspect whether this guy was a Contractor in disguise.
"Regarding the destruction of the Dark Prison Gate, Bai Ye, Ta Balder, you two had better not act. You are the guarantee for reaching the depths of the Dark Prison. Library, is there a relatively simple method to destroy the Dark Prison Gate?"
Ge tapped his cigarette ash, his gaze shifting to Library Commons.
"There is, but it will cost many Hunters their lives."
"Specific number of casualties."
Ge was getting a bit irritable. What he hated hearing most was that Hunters would die, yet he heard this phrase often.
"Three hundred to over a thousand."
Library Commons pulled a small bottle from his bosom, brought it to his mouth, pressed the cap, and took a deep breath. His flushed face returned to a pale pallor.
"Three hundred to over a thousand..."
Viper leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes in thought while grasping his own left pinky finger, slowly bending it backward.
*Crack~*
Viper's pinky was broken by his own hand, yet his expression remained blank.
"I will mobilize the Hunters. Whether they agree to participate in this incident depends on their own will."
Viper said no more. He glanced at his already broken pinky, then *cracked* it back into place. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to set bones, so his pinky hung limply, completely broken.
"Amputate it."
A somewhat muffled voice suddenly came from a man wearing a crow mask. He was the Beak Doctor.
"Viper, don't rush to a decision. The Hunters alone can't destroy the Dark Prison Gate. The situation there is very complex. After the meeting, I'll discuss it with Bai Ye. Perhaps we won't need to send too many Hunters."
Library Commons spoke with a smile, clearly having thought of something else.
"Then the decision on destroying the Dark Prison Gate is settled. Commons and Bai Ye are responsible. Next is the person favored by the world."
Ge's gaze turned to Viper, who had just mentioned he had seen such a person.
"That person is easy to find. Her name is Alexia. Fortunately, she is a senior Hunter."
Viper looked somewhat relieved. From his expression, it was clear he admired Alexia.
"What's the name?"
Su Xiao spoke with a furrowed brow, sensing something ominous.
"Her name is Alexia. What's wrong?"
Viper narrowed his eyes, also feeling a sense of foreboding.
"Wears a white crow mask, slender build, disciple of the Old Hunter Adam?"
"Correct. Have you met her?"
Viper's fingers tapping on the conference table quickened.
"She's dead. I saw half of her skull with my own eyes."
As soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, the meeting room fell silent.
Su Xiao wasn't surprised by Alexia's death. There were many reasons for it. First, the one who killed her was her closest kin. The World Child is most vulnerable to this kind of danger. Second, she died in Soul's plan. The two sides weren't even on the same level.
Don't be fooled by Soul acting cowardly in front of Su Xiao and Ta Balder; it was still one of the three Dark Prison overlords. Even an Old Hunter could be crushed by Soul at will, especially since the Fierce Ghost was still alive at the time.
The good news now was that the next World Child had already appeared. This was certain.
From Alexia, Su Xiao discovered one thing: in a Seventh Rank world, unless you act alongside the World Child, it's hard to discern their true identity.
"Time limit: 5 days. If we can't find such a person in 5 days, we'll fill the gap with lives. I already have a candidate who can completely replace me. Count me in then. If even I, the one giving the orders, am afraid, the Hunters have no reason to go die."
Viper stated his position. Give him five days. If he couldn't find a new World Child within five days, he would personally lead the team to destroy the 'Boundary Array's' subsidiary structure.
In reality, Viper was overthinking things. If destroying the 'Boundary Array's' subsidiary structure could be done by throwing lives at it, Su Xiao wouldn't have waited until now.
"Preparation time is only five days. We plan to destroy the Dark Prison Gate in three days. After its destruction, the energy chaos reaction will last at least two days. Then we'll delve into the Dark Prison to destroy the 'Boundary Array's' subsidiary structure. Two teams will go deep into the Dark Prison: one led by Bai Ye, the other by Ta Balder. Balder's team is responsible for destroying the subsidiary structure; Bai Ye's team will slay the god. Does anyone have anything to add?"
Viper looked around at those present. No one spoke.
"Then this meeting is adjourned. From this moment, this hour, except for Bai Ye, Balder, and Lady Xiang, no one else is to leave headquarters without authorization. It has been an honor working with you all. But rules are rules. Those who break the rules... die."
Viper's gaze turned cold. In that instant, everyone felt he had become a cold-blooded creature.
The group filed out of the meeting room one by one, about to become busy. Before long, only Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, Baha, Commons, and Lady Xiang remained in the room.
"Commons, tell me your method for destroying the Dark Prison Gate."
Lady Xiang exhaled a plume of purple smoke, her red lips as vivid as if stained with blood.
"You know better than I do."
Commons left this remark and exited the meeting room.
Lady Xiang pondered for a moment, then said, "Kukulin, if I told you I'm going to have a group of very unreliable villains destroy the Dark Prison Gate, what would you think?"
"I only care about the results."
"Good. Come in, little darling."
As Lady Xiang's words fell, a young woman dressed in formal attire entered the meeting room. It was clear she was a bit nervous.
"This is the legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official from the Rhine Kingdom. Her name is Amiya. With her around, things will be much easier later. She's here to gild her resume. We owe this favor, after all, we need her father to help us with some unsavory matters."
Lady Xiang's words were very blunt, making Amiya feel quite uncomfortable. It was obvious she had some pride, but she didn't dare show it in the Watch Guild. Up to now, she didn't even know what she was supposed to do. Every inquiry only received four words: Kingdom Confidential.
Lady Xiang glanced at Amiya, then spoke in a seductive voice:
"Kukulin, you know, Hunters are better at tracking. Besides, everyone has varying degrees of loss of control. Not everyone is like you, with such strong willpower. Loss of control makes Hunters a bit stubborn at times. So I've decided to have a few felons destroy the Dark Prison Gate. They are civilian Transcendents, imprisoned in various prisons across the Rhine Kingdom."
Lady Xiang took out several dozen files she had prepared in advance and placed them on the table in front of Su Xiao. It had to be admitted that this god-slaying operation was led by Su Xiao, a result of the disparity in intelligence.
Su Xiao began selecting from the dozens of files. Before long, he picked out seven. As for the crimes these seven had committed, if one were to consult the laws of the Rhine Kingdom, aside from the words on the cover, they had probably violated almost every other law.
Because they might be useful, these people hadn't been sentenced to death. But their combined sentences totaled about 560,000 years. Each of them would rot in prison. They were people the Rhine Kingdom wanted to kill but was somewhat reluctant to part with.
Su Xiao placed the seven files on the table. Lady Xiang tilted her chin toward Amiya, signaling she could open the files and look.
Amiya performed a noble's salute, stepped forward, and opened the files one by one to examine them. After a dozen seconds, her expression began to show shock, because the files read:
The Silent One, Salisbury, Sentence: 75,610 years. Crimes: High treason, multiple counts of murder, large-scale counterfeiting (over 800 million Shiller in counterfeit currency), killed 7,952 soldiers, 397 civilians...
The Necromancer, Yuyul, Sentence: 95,610 years. Crimes: High treason, assassination of royalty (successful), attempted alliance with the Dark Demon, anti-social personality, split personality, attempted large-scale spread of Transcendent characteristic plague...
As Amiya read on, her expression became numb.
"May I ask, are you two going to execute these people?"
Amiya's last shred of hope led her to ask this question. As for the other possibility, she didn't want to think about it, nor was she willing to acknowledge it.
"Of course not. I want you to take the authorization and bring them out of their respective prisons, escorting them to the Watch Guild. Can you do that, little darling?"
Lady Xiang looked at Amiya with a smile, not in mockery. She had been like this when she was young, harboring a heart of justice. But later, she discovered that to deal with monsters, you had to be fiercer, more terrifying, and more despicable than the monsters themselves.
"Please... don't let these damned demons leave their prison cells for even a step."
Amiya's struggle was feeble. A few minutes later, her eyes reddened as she left the meeting room.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Prison, a desolate area.
"So, you're saying you're not enemies."
Soul sat atop a bizarre four-legged Dark Demon, looking at the few people in front of him.
"Of course not. We've come to pledge allegiance to the gods."
Adley's face was full of enthusiasm. At this moment, he was wearing a flashy pink suit, his slicked-back hair neatly combed.
"Reason?"
Soul's tone was playful. He had already decided to let these people die here.
"We've offended the God Hunter, Kukulin."
The reason Adley gave was simple and very convincing.
"Welcome to our ranks. But to truly become one of us, you must pass a trial. Go kill the God Hunter, Kukulin. If you succeed, I'll double what you want. As a down payment, I'll tell you when the God Hunter, Kukulin, will leave the Watch Guild headquarters."
Soul decided not to kill these people. As for sending them to kill the God Hunter, Kukulin, Soul thought the success rate was very low.
"Double?!"
Adley showed hesitation. He had wanted 'that thing' for a long time. Now that he had finally encountered the God faction, he naturally rushed over immediately.
"It's a deal. Next time we meet, I'll bring the head of the God Hunter, Kukulin. But I want triple the reward."
Adley regained his confidence. After all, he had 164 members. Ganging up on a God Hunter was a sure thing.
PS: (Recommending a friend's book, title: *I Survived 999 Heavenly Tribulations*.)