I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 60

Chapter 139 The Army

Rani looked at Weber and nodded politely, "Yes, my master is the current Dean of the Atlas Academy."

"Lord Barthemello, I suggest you drop everything now and take this girl back to the Clock Tower at full speed!" Weber looked at Barthemello with a grim expression. The moment he learned the girl's identity, he had a premonition that things would completely spiral out of control and enter the worst possible situation.

Having finally discovered the culprit behind the apocalypse, they needed time to prepare. They had plenty of time, but when this girl appeared, their time immediately began to count down.

The Atlas Institute, established based on calculations, would not have failed to consider the intelligence leak as mere speculation after learning that this girl had been in contact with them. Although she was not their source of information, her presence here made no difference.

Moreover, Grey only lost Ad for half a day, and after getting him back, things turned out like this. So, they couldn't help but wonder if the Atlas Institute had gotten some information from Ad. Both of them, who had finally learned the truth, were now in the most unfavorable situation.

They were able to relax a bit before because they didn't realize where Yue Zhengling had sent Yad, but now that they know, it means their previous plans have been overturned again. They may no longer be able to carry out the decapitation tactic and will have to retreat back to the Clock Tower to reconsider.

The painful process of pushing up his hairline left Weber feeling like the day had been a series of twists and turns, and his mind was constantly racing.

Barthesmero agreed with Webber's decision, as his suggestion was the safest course of action under the current circumstances. She first glanced at Grey, who was listening intently despite her distraught state, and then looked at Le Zhengling in her wheelchair.

Although I can't understand how Yue Zhengling did it, he is obviously not as clueless as he is now. In that case, could we take advantage of him again?

Seemingly knowing what she was thinking, Orange pulled the wheelchair backward, while Arthur stood in front of Yue Zhengling.

Seeing their actions, Barthez sighed inwardly and abandoned his previous idea.

"Miss Aozaki, and King Arthur, I'll ask one last time, are you really not coming back to the Clock Tower with us?" Basemelo knew she couldn't force them; they were at a complete disadvantage in terms of force.

"No, Lingjun has already returned the Holy Lance to you, and that girl is a big problem, so we won't get involved." Orange has a clear understanding of the current situation and knows what kind of people in the Clock Tower are. In this crazy situation, some guys are capable of anything.

There's only one outcome for Rani if ​​she goes to the Clock Tower: she'll be exploited to the point of having all her remaining value extracted, and then see if she can become a hostage. If not, she'll probably become a specimen or a tool for venting anger.

Similarly, if Yue Zheng had reached the Clock Tower, the outcome would have been the same. It had become a den of demons, and the glimmer of humanity would only reappear when they saw hope. Now that hope had been seized by them, all that remained was a final, desperate struggle.

She had no interest in becoming cannon fodder, which is why she was able to retreat calmly with Yue Zhengling here, given the huge disparity in strength between the two sides.

With that in mind, she quietly watched Arthur's back. She could roughly guess what he was thinking. Moreover, she thought it would be good to have an extra bodyguard. After all, if she were to return to Japan alone with Yue Zhengling, the journey would be quite difficult. Although she had lost the Holy Sword, since he was King Arthur, he should be able to handle most situations even with his bare hands.

Barthezmello did not press the matter further; the pride and self-respect of a noblewoman would not allow her to ask a third time. She used the communication line to notify the Imaginary Number Magician to collect as many necessary supplies as possible in preparation for leaving.

Rani stood quietly in the circle of people, her expression neither sad nor happy, showing no sign of worry about the future, or perhaps she was fearless, or perhaps she hadn't thought about these things at all. But whatever the case, everyone temporarily ignored her.

Grey knew that now was not the time to question Ad. She stood by the window with the Holy Lance in hand, waiting for Barthez's orders. Just then, a series of loud footsteps came from not far away.

Then, Gray's expression changed drastically as she looked at the dark figures outside the window. She saw rows of military formations outside, and upon closer inspection, they turned out to be the puppet army they had encountered before. Moreover, the sky was filled with flying mechanical constructs, and what was even more terrifying was that there were several giant demonic boars bringing up the rear.

When the others discovered this, they also panicked. Only Rani watched all this calmly and comforted them, "Please don't worry, the teacher sent someone to pick me up. As long as I'm handed over, the teacher should withdraw the order."

But no one took her words seriously.

Rani didn't mind, and silently walked to Le Zhengling's side, carefully looking him over. Orange didn't stop her, but frowned and looked Rani up and down several times.

"You are an artificial human?" Orange, the puppeteer, sensed something very different about Rani. She could tell that the child's body had a very special nature, and her magic circuits were also very strange. Such magic circuits could not have been born naturally.

"Yes, I, Rani VIII, am the last android of the Atlas Institute, born to correct a calculation error."

Rani didn't hide her birth and told Orange directly about the meaning of her existence.

"Are you curious about Lingjun?" Orange noticed that Lani's gaze was fixed on Yue Zhengling, which she found quite amusing.

But Rani, who had always answered truthfully before, remained silent on this issue.

Meanwhile, the army outside had completely surrounded the building, and the Demon Pig Gate had pushed aside a large area, turning the super mall into an isolated island.

"What are they trying to do?" Barthemello asked nervously, watching the enemy's actions, but she didn't expect an answer. However, someone answered her instead.

"They're probably waiting for reinforcements." Arthur had appeared beside her at some point, watching the scene with a grave expression.

As the only one present who had led an army and fought in battles, and whose opponents ranged from humans to monsters to alien creatures, Arthur was the most qualified to speak on the matter.

Although he had chosen to stay by Yue Zhengling's side, it didn't mean he would stand by and watch the Clock Tower group die. Moreover, given the situation outside, it might affect Yue Zhengling, so he had no choice but to step forward.

“You’d better choose quickly: hand over the hostages or break out,” Arthur said to Barthezmello with a serious expression. “If it really is reinforcements, then they are definitely not something you can handle.”

Chapter 140 Transfer Magic

Webber, inside the Clock Tower, also heard Arthur's words. At the same time, the Monitoring Bureau sent a message, and after reading it, Webber's expression turned even more grim.

"Lord Barthezello, there's urgent news. We just detected three divine-level figures leaving Egypt, and their destination, if nothing unexpected, is London. Please return as soon as possible!"

This news confirmed Arthur's prediction, prompting Barthezmello, who had been hesitant, to immediately make a decision.

“Grey, Peter, take the little girl; we need to leave here immediately.” Bartholomew finished speaking and looked at Arthur. “King Arthur, although I don’t know what Aozaki’s plans are, are you really unwilling to leave with us?”

Arthur shook his head, his meaning quite clear. Barthez gritted his teeth, "Then could you lend us a hand when we break through?"

Arthur gave a wry smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm powerless to grant this request. As you can see, I've lost the Holy Sword and can no longer unleash powerful, wide-area attacks. At most, I can only follow you out and provide cover for you. However, if that's the case, I'll have to protect you all the way to the Clock Tower, and I'm afraid I won't be able to return here by then."

Arthur's concerns were not unfounded. He could handle the number of enemies outside, but that was only if they appeared in small groups. Enemies numbering over a hundred and enemies numbering over a thousand were two different things. Moreover, there were also air forces and demonic boars blocking the road. He was not optimistic about Bartholomew and his group's breakout.

Although he knew that Barthemello and the others had a trump card, Rani's presence was an unstable factor, and Barthemello couldn't abandon her, so breaking out wasn't the best option under these circumstances.

With this in mind, Arthur turned around and asked Webber through the communicator, "How long do you expect the enemy reinforcements to take to arrive? Also, do you have any way to verify their identities?"

Weber immediately relayed Arthur's question and quickly received an answer: "They are expected to arrive in about three hours, and their identity will be confirmed in about another hour."

"In other words, we have at most one hour to prepare. So, is your Clock Tower capable of sending reinforcements?" Arthur asked calmly. His experience in military campaigns allowed him to remain composed even in this situation.

"All I can do now is offer you advice, and how you choose to proceed is up to you," Arthur said, looking at Barthezmello. "The purpose of the armies outside is unclear, and your most important task now is to figure out what they are here for."

"Not here for that girl?" Barthemello looked at Rani, who had shown no resistance from the moment she appeared until she was captured.

"Maybe, but not definitely." Arthur shook his head. If it really was for that girl, they shouldn't have made such a big fuss, because doing so would have made them wary. The best approach would have been to attack during transport and delay them.

However, this was just his guess. It was also possible that the other side did not know that Rani had fallen into their hands, and that the army outside was actually there to protect her.

He shared his guess, and Weber's eyes flashed after hearing it. As a master of strategy games and an expert in war history, he said with certainty, "This guess is very likely the answer! The other side probably couldn't get firsthand information. Although they determined the girl's location, they couldn't ascertain her condition, which is why they sent troops to protect her!"

"The enemy reinforcements should be highly intelligent and capable of handling the situation on-site. You must find a way to leave before they arrive!"

Webber racked his brains. “You’ve all seen what’s happening outside. Anyone who goes out will likely be attacked. While that little girl should be an exception, we can’t guarantee you won’t be attacked even if you’re with her. The simplest solution is to use teleportation magic to have Gray take her directly back to the Clock Tower.”

Upon hearing the term "transfer magic," Barthemello frowned. "But we don't have any materials or blueprints for transfer magic at all."

"...When I set off before, I asked Gray to take a blueprint with her, and I also went to the Minerals Department to get the materials."

After hearing Waver's words, Barthemello's expression became very strange. The limitations of teleportation magic are very great. Waver asked Gray to prepare these things so that she could escape if things became unavoidable.

Moreover, a single transfer spell can only be used on two people. Due to resource constraints, each monarch only has one access. Barthemello's access had already been used up, and she never expected that Waver would give this access to Gray.

“In that case, why not let Peter (the Imaginary Number Magician), who has already collected all the supplies, go back?” Barthemello thought for a moment and then stated her plan.

Upon hearing this, Waver fell silent. It was the right choice, but deep down he hoped Gray would return. However, he couldn't bring himself to say it. The supplies at the Clock Tower were already at their limit. The purpose of this mission was to collect supplies. If the magician carrying the supplies didn't return, the mission would be largely a failure.

Rani has already taken one of the two spots, and the choice for the remaining spot is up to Webber.

Seeing Waver fall silent, Barthezmello knew what he was thinking, but as a monarch, he had to prioritize the greater good. Staying here might mean certain death, but if the Imaginary Number Magician didn't return, the rest of the Clock Tower would definitely die.

“Master, let Peter and this little girl use the teleportation magic.”

Just as Weber was struggling with his inner turmoil, Grey spoke up, "Although we sent that girl to the Clock Tower, we don't know if the army outside will move. But if they do move, our crisis can be resolved."

Gray looked at Waver, whose face had suddenly turned extremely haggard, and gently comforted him, "Don't worry, Master, even if the enemies outside don't move, we still have the strength to break through."

Her tone was very certain, as if she wanted to convey to Weber that she still had a strong will to live.

“Alright then, activate the transfer magic and bring those two over.” Webber wearily closed his eyes. “Grey, don’t die.”

“I know, Master.” Grey took a box out of her cloak and handed it to Barthez. Barthez looked at her with a guilty look, then turned and found an open space to set it up.

Chapter 141 I Saw You...

"Don't be so discouraged. The situation isn't as bad as you think." Perhaps sensing that everyone's mindset was too negative, Arthur looked around again, and a different kind of demeanor began to emerge from him.

If he was a noble prince when we first met him, now he has transformed from a prince into a king, drawing everyone's attention to him without their consent.

“As I said before, they are waiting for reinforcements, but even if reinforcements arrive, we don’t only have one option: to fight.” Arthur looked at Rani, his intuition telling him that this girl had the ability to control the situation.

Aozaki Touko felt the same way, because she found Rani to be too calm. Although it might be because Rani was an android, her composure and calmness made her see something special.

"Miss Rani, could you please lend us a hand?"

Looking at Arthur's tall and upright figure, Rani nodded. "I do have a way to help you, but what can you offer in return?"

As a magician at the Atlas Academy, she also adhered to the alchemist's doctrine of equivalent exchange, and she was also very interested in those who stubbornly survived under her teacher's great magic.

Even though the world has become like this, and we are so weak, why do we still struggle to live? Wouldn't it be better to just become a part of the desert?

The teacher's intention was to preserve this world and avoid the most desperate ending, and these people should already know this, so why are they still struggling?

In fact, ever since she arrived here, she has been using nanofibers—ethereal optical fibers—to gather intelligence.

Ether fiber, also known as simulated nerve, is not only incredibly tough and can be used to bind and cut opponents in battle, but it can also be used to connect to other people's bodies, read information from their brains through neural transmission, and control their bodies. It is a very powerful device.

Somewhat unintentionally, the ethereal fiber optic cable successfully pierced Gray's head. Then, under her control, segments of information appeared in her mind.

She now knows everything about the identities, personalities, and relationships of everyone present, and she is most interested in Yue Zhengling, who is sitting in a wheelchair.

It's not just because there's now an identical person in their Atlas Academy, but also because he knows about the teacher's existence and plans. If nothing unexpected happens, this person will be crucial to the team.

However, when she tried to insert an ether fiber into his brain to search for information, she found that it had no effect at all. The ability of ether fiber to read information is not only effective on the human body, but also on other spiritual beings.

She knew the other party wasn't a living person, but the fifth element that constitutes a spirit or heroic spirit is the same as ethereal fiber. Logically speaking, the other party shouldn't be an exception, yet this exception had appeared before her—

The ether fiber optic cable missed its target. That's right, although the person was there, the ether fiber optic cable seemed to pass through air.

There are only two possibilities in this situation: either the other party has a spatial barrier and the ether fiber has been transferred, or the other party has the same ability as oneself and has deceived oneself.

Rani adjusted her glasses and, while analyzing the possibilities using computing power surpassing that of a quantum computer, answered Arthur's question.

"What do you want from us?" Arthur seemed to have anticipated Rani's question, so he answered directly.

Rani pointed her index finger at Lok Ching Ling.

"This request is a bit excessive," Orange said with a smile, looking at Rani.

“Indeed, Miss Rani, we cannot use our companions as bargaining chips.” Arthur wasn’t angry. After speaking, he looked at Bartholomew, “Your Clock Tower and Atlas Academy are both among the three major organizations of the Mage's Association. You should know what the other side has always wanted, right? Can you offer that as a bargaining chip?”

As a candidate for Dean of the Clock Tower, Bartholomew Loreleia should theoretically be on par with Rani. However, Bartholomew did not want to deal with the culprit who destroyed the world, so she specifically asked Arthur to represent her. Moreover, she believed that Arthur, as King Arthur, could handle everything fairly.

Unexpectedly, Arthur chose to handle the matter as a third party (witness and communicator), which forced her to consider how to deal with the relationship between the Clock Tower and the Atlas House.

“Miss Rani VIII, before we proceed, may I ask you what exactly this apocalypse is all about?” Barthemello Loreleia suppressed all her complicated thoughts and decided to speak with her in the manner of a nobleman.

"Don't you already know the cause and effect?" Rani replied in a very calm tone. "Just as you know, this world anomaly was activated to preserve all of humanity through the [World Preservation Mechanism]. Its official name is the Great Magic: World Egg, the incomplete sixth magic. The sand outside is the final form of all life on this planet, the highest crystallization of Atlas Academy magic: the Philosopher's Stone."

Even though everyone had heard it before, they still found it hard to accept after receiving this definitive answer.

"Why did you do this?" Barthemello Loreleia took a few deep breaths, suppressing her anger, and asked.

After looking at everyone, Rani's gaze fell on Yue Zhengling and Arthur. "No matter how I explain it, none of you except these two will be able to understand."

"The heroic spirits on the throne transcend time and space. If it were you, you should have seen the ending calculated by our Atlas Institute." Lanina Zigan stared unblinkingly at Arthur.

“I haven’t seen that ending yet, but I know it.” Arthur’s expression remained unchanged. “The planet was torn apart, and only one pure human remained. An incredibly powerful life form, the strongest alien species, it was a future with no future at all. And my duty is to help drive out the alien life form that caused this ending.”

“That’s right, but the world is destined to end up like that.” Rani’s gaze shifted to Yue Zhengling.

"Then why did your Atlas Academy bring about this outcome so soon?" Barthemello Loreleia looked at Rani, unable to understand her actions. In her view, the rationality pursued by the Atlas Academy should not have led to this situation.

“That’s why I said you can’t understand.” Rani didn’t turn around, but walked step by step towards Yue Zhengling, then waved her hand in front of his eyes twice. After finding that he didn’t even blink, she leaned close to his ear and tried to say something.

"I see you..."

Chapter 142 Summoning the Spirit

“Rani VIII, please answer my question in detail! I don’t want to resort to violence!” Basemelo Loreleia looked at Rani, who walked away on her own, with displeasure.

Although Barthezmero's voice wasn't loud, everyone could hear the anger in her words.

Gray, who was unaware of the magic circle, stopped what she was doing at that moment. "Lord Barthemello, it's done."

Grey actually interrupted Barthezmero on purpose because she felt it was going too far for so many people to coerce a little girl.

After hearing what Rani said to Le Zhengling, Arthur seemed to understand something. He immediately went over, and Rani made way for him. Arthur bent down, looked directly into Le Zhengling's eyes, and then took his hand. "Gotcha..."

Orange, who had been watching Arthur's actions, also realized the key point at this moment and covered Yue Zhengling's ears before Arthur could finish speaking.

Arthur looked up at Orange, who shrugged indifferently and shook her head. Arthur seemed to know what it meant, thought for a few seconds, then let go of her hand and stood next to Yue Zhengling.

Rani looked at the two of them thoughtfully, but didn't say anything, while the others were completely confused.

Actually, the matter is very simple. Rani has discovered that the two Le Zhengling are the same being. Based on the memories obtained from Gray, combined with her own segmented thinking and probability calculations, the current consciousness of this Le Zhengling is not here.

Previously, this person used the alien god's power to escape to the Atlas Institute, and then, using some unknown method, used the planet's most powerful event recorder, the simulated Spirit Particle Calculator Tri-Hermes, to expel the alien god from its body, and then made an unknown deal with it.