bookbashuk Page 201
Page 201
"Understood, Lady Ashikaga."
Ashikaga Miwa was well aware of Asagiri's abilities. For an average player, entering the interior of a high-speed train would be absolutely impossible, but for Asagiri, as long as he first used "Cyber Hunt" to make Crazy Meta appear inside the train, and then rode in a vehicle and got within fifty meters of Crazy Meta, he could instantly swap positions using "Casting".
"Could it be... a 'player'...?"
Hearing Kato Megumi's slightly worried words, Iwanaga Kotoko replied calmly.
"Kayaba Akihiko is a well-known scientist, and we are certainly not the only ones who recognize the value of his scientific theories. Of course, he could also be Ashikaga-sensei's enemy who just wants to sabotage Ashikaga-sensei's plans in this way. No matter what his reasons are, the fact that he dared to make a move on the train shows that he is definitely not an ordinary person."
Asuna Yuuki frowned, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes.
"There were more than just Kayaba Akihiko and Ashikaga-sensei's people on the train; there were also many ordinary passengers. To make a move on a train traveling at high speed... they are incredibly audacious."
"It's alright."
Asagiri gently patted Yuuki Asuna's shoulder and said with a smile.
"There are people who dare to kill people on the street. Moreover, the fact that the other party committed the crime inside the tram is not because they are brave, but because they chose this time to do so because it is the safest time. They are far away from the city and the Metropolitan Police Department's troops will not be able to arrive in time. They believe that even if there are players on Ashikaga-sensei's side, it will be difficult for them to enter the tram at high speed to provide support."
At this point, Asagiri suddenly changed the subject.
"Besides the two possibilities that Kotoko just mentioned, there is actually another possibility."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki vaguely guessed what Asagiri meant, and her eyes trembled slightly.
"You mean... players from other worlds came to our world to do dungeon quests?"
"I cannot rule out this possibility. Logically speaking, I think this is the most reasonable explanation."
Asagiri sat in the moving black extended luxury sedan, looking at her three teammates and the serious-looking Ashikaga Miwa, and slowly began to speak.
"Only players from another world who are currently undertaking a dungeon quest can completely disregard the consequences of their actions and not worry about the Metropolitan Police Department's subsequent pursuit and investigation, because they are not originally from this world. They can leave as long as they complete the tasks given by the system. If that's the case, their goal for clearing the dungeon should be..."
At this point, Asagiri looked at Ashikaga Miwa and asked.
"I remember you said that Kayaba Akihiko brought all his relevant experimental data with him when he came to Tokyo this time, right?"
"Yes, but his computer is professionally encrypted, making it impossible to crack in a short time..."
Ashikaga Miwa was halfway through her sentence when she realized the limitations of her thinking and sighed heavily.
"But the enemy doesn't need to crack it in a short time. They might get the system's rewards after acquiring the computer, or they might take the computer back to their other world and crack it slowly. Or they might be like you, possessing hacking abilities beyond the technological limits of this world, making it impossible to predict the player's behavior and motives using common sense..."
"Kayaba Akihiko's research results..."
Kotoko Iwanaga pursed her lips, rested her chin on her hand, and said thoughtfully.
"If this is indeed a dungeon mission given by the system, then it is the first dungeon mission in our world. Does that mean that Kayaba Akihiko and his research results are considered by the system to be one of the most valuable things in our world?"
"Perhaps that's true, but..."
A hint of dark gold light shone in Asagiri's black eyes as she spoke in a relaxed and casual tone.
"The world belongs to us, and the things in this world also belong to us."
……
Meanwhile, inside a train traveling towards Tokyo.
A man carrying a laptop bag, with an unremarkable appearance, wearing a shirt, trousers, a tie, and a white lab coat, looking like a researcher, sat in a seat. Around him were a dozen bodyguards in black suits with serious expressions.
Judging from the bodyguards' actions of either putting their right hands on their waists or reaching into their pockets, they were clearly carrying guns. Although security checks are required before entering the tram, given Ashikaga Miwa's connections and abilities, it was not worth mentioning that her people were able to bring guns onto the tram.
Just then, one of the bodyguards' phones suddenly rang. He had just taken the phone out and hadn't even had a chance to check it when a cute girl with pigtails jumped out from the phone screen.
"who!?"
"Stop it, look how scared you are."
Faced with more than a dozen bodyguards instantly drawing their guns and pointing them at him, Crazy Mita simply waved his hand impatiently.
"Check your phones. You should have all received a notification from that middle-aged woman. I'm here to take over."
The bodyguards took out their phones and checked them. Sure enough, they had received a text message from Ashikaga Miwa. The message was simple: to obey all orders from the twin-tailed girl.
"Feel sorry."
Those assigned to protect Kayaba Akihiko were naturally Ashikaga Miwa's most trusted and most capable subordinates. They immediately put away their weapons and awaited Crazy Mita's specific instructions.
How many enemy soldiers are there?
"It's not clear yet, but from the moment we boarded the tram, there were five suspicious-looking people loitering around the connection between our carriages, seemingly observing something."
"Five people..."
Crazy Mita snorted disdainfully. Although she was eager to take grenades and chainsaws and go on a rampage with the enemy, Asagiri's orders were to stall for time as much as possible. Although she was very unwilling, she could only obediently do as she was told.
She first glanced at the display screen above the connecting area between the carriages, then looked at the scenery rushing past the window, and finally looked at Kayaba Akihiko, who was sitting there with a calm expression, and said lightly.
"Nearly 400 kilometers per hour... It's an express tram. Looks like there's no way I can just take you away with me."
Crazy Mita considered jumping out of the car with Kayaba Akihiko, but at this speed, even she would be seriously injured, let alone Kayaba Akihiko, who was just an ordinary person. Even without contact with the ground, he would die from the impact of landing.
Perhaps the other party took this into account, which is why they deliberately chose to take action inside a moving tram.
"Hmph, your plan is quite comprehensive."
While Crazy Metta observes the surrounding environment, Asagiri is also gathering information about the scene through her Persona.
Killing all the enemies on the train wouldn't be difficult for Asagiri, but the most crucial issue is how to save Kayaba Akihiko's life. If the train is destroyed during the battle, Kayaba Akihiko, being just an ordinary person, wouldn't survive at a speed of nearly 400 kilometers per hour.
"How much longer?"
Upon hearing Asagiri's question, Ashikaga Miwa glanced at the navigation map on her phone and replied.
"Seven minutes until we reach the rendezvous point."
"Seven minutes...?"
Asagiri looked at Kotoko Iwanaga: "Why do you think they didn't make their move when they first boarded the train, but waited until now?"
"Um……"
Kotoko Iwanaga was also pondering this question, her brow furrowed.
"Yes... Although it's difficult to provide support from a high-speed tram, we should have acted much earlier if we were being cautious... Could it be that the system has imposed some kind of restriction? But according to the rules of this game system, it doesn't directly restrict players' actions through the rules, so..."
Kotoko Iwanaga recalled the several instances she and her companions had experienced in the past and came to a conclusion.
"Could it be that the objective of this instance mission is not to kill Kayaba Akihiko or steal his research results, but that this is just a hidden bonus route, and the real objective is to reach a certain extraction point, just like the one we experienced at the Giant Mountain Mental Hospital?"
Upon hearing this, Kato Megumi tentatively inquired.
"Could it be... that the system set their evacuation point somewhere in Tokyo?"
"Wow, this is truly hellish difficulty."
Hearing Asagiri's smiling evaluation, Ashikaga Miwa, Kato Megumi, Yuuki Asuna, and Iwanaga Kotoko all felt the same way, and the originally heavy and serious atmosphere even became joyful.
Although it's unclear what specific missions the system assigned to those players from other worlds, setting the evacuation point somewhere within Tokyo is certainly quite malicious.
Who are the players in the Tokyo lineup?
Asagiri Utsunomiya, Asuna Yuuki, Kotoko Iwanaga, Megumi Kato, Miwa Ashikaga, Kaguya Shinomiya, Chika Fujiwara, Ai Hayasaka.
The three members of Kaguya Shinomiya's team represent the top tier of the current player strength pyramid, while the four members of the Asagiri Squad are even more formidable.
The four people are at the very top of the pyramid.
It can truly be said that the number of immortals is as numerous as hemp, and the difficulty of the third stage of the dungeon is well-deserved.
64
Chapter 64 Our World.
"Even so, just to be on the safe side..."
Asagiri looked at Asuna Yuuki, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Megumi Kato, and said softly.
"Once I board the train, you should immediately head to Tokyo Station to prevent any backup or people from lying in wait on the other side."
"it is good."
Immediately afterwards, Asagiri looked toward Ashikaga Miwado.
"You have connections at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, right? Have them find an excuse to evacuate the crowds in the train station in advance, so they don't get in the way."
Ashikaga Miwa nodded.
"Well, leave it to me."
After Asagiri finished explaining the plan, Asuna Yuuki tentatively inquired.
"Should we inform Chika and the others?"
"Those three people..."
Asagiri did not answer directly, but looked at Kato Megumi and Iwanaga Kotoko.
"What's your opinion?"
"Um……"
Kato Megumi tilted her head, revealing a cute expression of serious thought, and after a few seconds spoke softly.
"I'm not very familiar with them either. I only met them once in the last dungeon. You guys decide."
"Let's give them a heads-up."
Kotoko Iwanaga expressed her opinion with a smile.
“Tokyo is not only our city, but also theirs. They need to provide assistance in any way they can during times like this. How can they rely on us for everything?”
"Too."
Asagiri smiled and nodded, then edited an email and sent it to Kaguya Shinomiya. The content was very simple.
"Operation is underway at Tokyo train station. Come quickly."
……
Meanwhile, inside a train carriage speeding towards Tokyo.
"Report: The other side has not made any moves yet."
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, a man sitting by the car window, dressed in ordinary clothes, with a buzz cut and a sharp glint in his eyes, nodded. He stood up, glanced at the dozen or so players in his carriage, signaled the subordinate who had just spoken to close the glass door at the connection point, and then spoke in a deep voice.
"For us, there is only one objective in this mission: to seize Kayaba Akihiko's laptop and bring it back to headquarters. The research he is conducting is of immeasurable value to us. This mission can only succeed; failure is absolutely not an option."
After saying this, the man glanced at the people present, paused for a few seconds, and then spoke.
"The players in this world seem to have noticed our actions. Those in black suits are hard to say, but that girl with blue twin tails wasn't on this train before, but suddenly appeared. She must be a player with extraordinary powers. And there must be other players on this train who don't belong to Blackwatch. Plans changed. We'll wait for the other players to make their move first, then we'll take advantage of the chaos to steal Kayaba Akihiko's laptop. If we can't do that then…"
At this point, the man, whose identity was presumably the Blackwatch commander, narrowed his eyes and slowly began to speak.
"Destroy the laptops, kill Kayaba Akihiko, and never let the people of this world master that kind of technology."
……
On the other side, Crazy Metta, who was standing in the carriage, seemed to sense something and muttered a complaint under her breath.
"They've finally arrived..."
The next second, she suddenly disappeared from where she was standing. To the astonishment of the bodyguards, a person wearing a long black trench coat, black gloves, black boots, and a dark gray mask appeared.
"Are you..."
"Let's shut up for a bit, I'm on your side."
Asagiri first said this casually, then looked at Kayaba Akihiko sitting there and said with a smile.
"Mr. Kayaba Akihiko, aren't you afraid?"
"Fear?"
Kayaba Akihiko seemed somewhat dull, the type who wasn't very good with words, but his eyes were incredibly calm, so calm that one could tell there was no emotion in them, only cold and ruthless rationality.
He raised his head and looked directly into Asagiri's eyes, speaking in a calm tone.
“I have no power. All I can do is construct the ‘real world’ in my mind. I cannot die before that, so I beg you… no, I plead with you, can you save me?”
"Would you cooperate with Ashikaga Miwa?"
"As long as she promises not to interfere with my research, that's fine. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wasted my time taking this tram."
"Okay, deal done."