bookbashuk Page 173
Page 173
"It's been confirmed, there's no one hiding."
Seeing this, Asagiri, Yuuki Asuna, and the others were all pondering in their hearts.
Based on the white-suited man's previous demonstration of his ability to fire white bone nails from his fingertips and his power to instantly kill a player, he is very strong. The male teammate next to him was able to detect Kato Megumi in her exclusive talent state even with Asagiri and Iwanaga Kotoko, two people with very high presence, present, so he should be considered a perception-type player.
The woman wearing the fox demon mask possessed the ability to cast barriers; was she a warlock? A mage? In any case, she was a magic-based class. As for the male player guarding the stairwell with the perception player, logically speaking, he must be a combat-type class, otherwise the man in the white suit wouldn't have entrusted him with guarding the stairwell door alongside the perception player.
Combat class + combat class + perception type + support magic type that can use barrier abilities. Although it is not quite the same as the composition of the four members of the Morning Mist Squad, it is still a very reasonable configuration. Moreover, judging from the appearance of the four, they have obviously gone through several dungeons together and have developed a tacit understanding that they can understand each other's meaning with just a look.
“That pale golden powder…”
As the woman wearing the fox demon mask spoke, a hint of fear suddenly flickered in her usually calm eyes.
"It exudes an aura that terrifies me, and... it feels very familiar."
"Familiar... Could it be..."
Seeing the mysterious expressions on the faces of the man in the white suit and his three teammates, Asagiri interrupted them directly.
"Am I in Gotham? Can you guys stop being riddles here? Riddlers, get out of the Death Game."
"Sorry, sorry, we didn't mean to, it's just that this thing..."
"Let me tell you."
The woman wearing a fox demon mask interrupted the man in the white suit, looked at Kotoko Iwanaga standing next to Asagiri, stared directly into her dark purple eyes, and slowly spoke.
“That pale golden powder… is the body of a ‘god’.”
"The body of 'God'? What are you talking about?"
Don't you understand what I mean?
The woman in the fox demon mask looked directly into Kotoko Iwanaga's eyes and said meaningfully.
“I can sense that you also seem to possess a part of the aura of ‘god.’ It’s strange, I’ve never encountered anyone like you, whether in the real world or in the dungeon.”
"Oh, is it so?"
Kotoko Iwanaga simply gave a noncommittal reply, and then asked.
"Let's get to the point. What exactly is this so-called 'god'? Have you guys encountered it in dungeons before?"
"'God'... is a phenomenon, a sign."
While discussing this topic, the man in the white suit, who had not shown the slightest fear since entering the instance, couldn't help but reveal lingering fear in his deep gray eyes.
"In the last instance, we encountered a 'god'..."
The man in the white suit looked grave as he slowly began to speak.
"What we entered was a bizarre instance that resembled a castle. As for what exactly happened... I can't find the right words to describe it. And it wasn't just me; everyone's spirits were severely shaken the moment they saw the 'god.' But what happened next was... Two of our six-person team members perished in that instance... No, to say 'perish' is an understatement. We never found their bodies, nor did we witness their deaths. We only managed to escape the 'god' because the instance's time limit expired, and the system teleported us directly back to the real world. Otherwise... we would have been wiped out."
After the man in the white suit finished speaking, the female player wearing the fox demon mask spoke softly.
“We’ve only encountered a ‘god’ once before, but based on our experience, the existence of a ‘god’ would cause the entire area to fall into some kind of anomaly. For example, last time, we encountered an endless loop of dead ends. This time, the abnormal rise in temperature inside the hotel also fits the characteristics of a ‘god.’ In addition, with the residual pale golden powder, we can roughly confirm that there is a ‘god’ in this hotel…”
Kotoko Iwanaga looked thoughtful, while Asagiri leaned down and whispered in her ear.
"Is what they say true?"
"I do not know."
Kotoko Iwanaga frowned slightly and replied to Asagiri in a similarly low voice.
"There are indeed so-called 'gods' in the real world, such as that mountain god. But the 'gods' they talk about seem to be different from the kind of beings I know. They completely change certain rules in a region. If that's the case, could the strange origin in the Giant Mountain Mental Hospital also be considered a 'god'? But since that guy could guess my identity, their statement does have some credibility."
Asagiri nodded, then smiled and spoke.
"Hmm, this is the kind of difficulty the third phase of the dungeon should have."
Upon hearing Asagiri's smiling tone, the man in the white suit couldn't help but look somewhat surprised and hesitated.
"Aren't you...aren't you afraid at all? Or do you simply not trust the information we provide?"
"I believe it."
Asagiri first replied with a smile, then said softly.
"But that's what makes it interesting."
The man in the white suit and his teammates noticed Asagiri's gaze and were momentarily stunned.
Did I see it wrong?
It seems like this guy on the other end of the line, after hearing that there are "gods" in this hotel...
His eyes and tone became excited?
"Shouldn't you..."
The man in the white suit looked incredulous and muttered to himself.
"You wouldn't... want to fight against 'gods', would you?"
24
Chapter 24 The Parasitic Ocean.
Asagiri didn't reply directly. Instead, she turned around and glanced at the direction of the equipment room and the talisman pasted on the door frame before speaking indifferently.
"There are no enemies that are absolutely impossible to destroy. Whether they are 'gods' or monsters, as long as you can find an opportunity and find their true form, it is possible."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
The female player wearing the fox demon mask had an incredulous look in her eyes, and her voice began to tremble slightly.
"Didn't I tell you? 'Gods' are a phenomenon, and it's impossible to defeat them..."
"Don't be too cowardly."
Asagiri interrupted the other person, speaking in a flat tone.
"While the outcome of rationally avoiding risks and stopping due to fear may seem the same, there is a fundamental difference. Think it over carefully. If you are interested in cooperating with us, feel free to contact us anytime."
After saying that, Asagiri left with Yuuki Asuna and the others.
……
Back in room 7012, Asuna Yuuki put away the crimson cloak and the shimmering light armor she wore during the battle, unzipped her sports jacket, neatly folded it and placed it beside her, gently lifted the collar of her short-sleeved shirt with one hand to fan herself, raised her other hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, and let out a long sigh.
"No, no... It's just too hot. The temperature is almost forty degrees Celsius..."
Kato Megumi walked to the air vent of the central air conditioning, stood on tiptoe, raised her palm and brought it closer, feeling the touch of the cold air, and murmured.
"That's strange. The air conditioner is working normally, and the temperature setting is correct, but the room temperature hasn't dropped at all. Could this be the phenomenon that the player team called 'gods'...?"
"This can't go on like this."
Asagiri glanced at the time displayed on her phone, then looked at the three bottles of mineral water that were almost empty, and said softly.
"Even if the temperature stops rising, Mr. Ichikawa's drinking water will not be enough to last for seventy-two hours."
At this point, Asagiri looked at the several large bags of bread, instant bacon, and a small bucket of drinking water, about five liters in capacity, placed next to the bed in the room.
"If the temperature doesn't continue to rise and we don't need to expend energy on combat, these supplies should be enough to barely last for 72 hours. However, we can't be sure if the food and drinking water are safe yet. Besides, these supplies are allocated to each floor. There are only two teams on the seventh floor, ours and Mr. Ichikawa's. Even so, it's not enough, let alone for the other players."
Asuna Yuuki pursed her lips, her eyes showing a complex expression.
"At this rate, there's no need for parasites; conflicts will arise among players due to competition for resources."
"Does that mean if I kill the other players and take all the resources for myself, I can successfully complete the game?"
Upon hearing Kotoko Iwanaga's astonishing words, Asagiri chuckled.
"What do you think this is? Battle Royale? If you use that method, you might be able to pass the game, but that's definitely not the proper way to pass it. Haven't I said it many times? The system won't set up those kinds of inescapable death situations, and it also won't set up situations where players are forced into PvP. When thinking about how to pass the game, take 'all players are capable of completing it and surviving' as the premise."
"All known clues have been analyzed, and there's no point in continuing to analyze them over and over again. Only one clue remains."
Upon hearing this, Kato Megumi slowly stood up from the sofa and said calmly.
"Hmm, 'observe the carpet,' only by trying this method can we hope to break the deadlock, right?"
Asuna Yuuki looked worried and hesitated.
"But there's absolutely no insurance coverage..."
"Conquering dungeons is a risky business, isn't it?"
Kato Megumi's tone was incredibly gentle, yet it conveyed a firm resolve that she had already made up her mind.
"Before each battle, we're never sure if we'll win, right? Since the system gave me that special hint, it means I'm the most suitable person to do this, and the one most likely to succeed."
"Well, that's all."
Asagiri nodded first, then walked up to Kato Megumi and said with a smile.
"Don't worry, while you're observing the carpet, I'll summon Alice. If you fall into an illusion, I can use her abilities to pull you back to reality. And if there's anything strange, Necro will sense it immediately."
"Hmm? Is that all?"
Kato Megumi tilted her head, grabbed Asagiri's hand, and then gently stroked it on her head, revealing a playful smile.
"Sure enough, as long as you do this, I won't be afraid at all."
……
A few minutes later, in the corridor on the seventh floor of the hotel.
"It's about to begin."
Kato Megumi took a deep breath, and just as she was about to look down at the carpet, she felt her right hand being held. When she looked up, she saw Asagiri staring at her with a smile.
Before Kato Megumi could speak, her left hand was suddenly grabbed again, this time by Yuuki Asuna.
"Hey, hey, hey, you've all finished holding hands, so where do I hold hands?"
Kotoko Iwanaga grumbled angrily, looking left and right, and finally could only helplessly grab the hem of Megumi Kato's clothes. Just as she expected, the next second Asagiri made a sharp and incisive remark.
"What was supposed to be a heartwarming scene of mutual encouragement suddenly becomes like a primary school field trip with you in it."
Kotoko Iwanaga pouted and made a face.
"Tch, if you keep mocking me, I'll jump onto the Phantom's back."
Kato Megumi: "...Did you ask for my opinion...?"
"All right."
Asagiri stopped Iwanaga Kotoko's banter with great force.
"Strategy team, unite! Let's go! Start! Sprint!"
"Can this be considered a fusion?"
Kato Megumi smiled helplessly, then lowered her head and began to stare at the carpet. After Asagiri's abstract thoughts, she no longer felt tense or afraid.
Perhaps that's why she was willing to join the team from the very beginning.
In this strange combined state, Kato Megumi observed the carpet as she followed Asagiri, Yuuki Asuna, and Iwanaga Kotoko forward.
After walking about ten meters, she suddenly felt a strong dizziness, as if the world around her was shaking, and the patterns on the carpet in the corridor turned into strange, rotating symbols that were directly etched into her vision.
When her vision cleared again, Kato Megumi suddenly felt a strange pressure coming from all directions. The heavy seawater squeezed her body from all angles, and strings of bubbles kept passing by her eyes. All she could see and wanted to see was a red light coming from somewhere.
Within that red light, something seemed to be uttering strange, eerie whispers, as if calling to Kato Megumi to enter.
Just then, Kato Megumi suddenly felt a warmth in her right palm, but when she turned her head, she found that her hand was empty.
"Is it the Leader...?"
Kato Megumi couldn't help but smile. After regaining some consciousness, she immediately activated her unique talent aura.
The moment she lowered her profile, the bubbles in the surrounding seawater suddenly stopped, and her vision became clearer. The red light lost its eerie attraction, allowing Kato Megumi to see her surroundings clearly.
This place seemed to be the seabed, surrounded by clear, transparent water, reefs, seaweed, and fish and other creatures swimming around. However, when she looked up, she could only see a blurry ripple.
"Because they can't notice me, they can't confuse my mind anymore...?"
Kato Megumi looked down at the sand beneath her feet and saw a very obvious dark red mark in the sand, extending in a certain direction.
"Is it what I thought...?"
Kato Megumi tried to take a step forward, and at the same time, Asagiri, Yuuki Asuna, and Iwanaga Kotoko, who were not trapped in the illusion, saw Kato Megumi, who had been standing quietly, suddenly take a step forward.
“Leader…”