NOVPUBChapter 171: Chapter 170: Exploring Mysterious Constructions
Chapter 171 -170: Exploring Mysterious Constructions
“We need to board the ship and capture someone,” Ge Wei immediately deduced, “and we can’t have too many people, nor can we draw the attention of other nobles. If we’re discovered, the operation might be terminated prematurely. Damn… this is the last scenario I wanted to face.”
Chaoyang deeply agreed.
The female Priest was simply too conspicuous.
Even if makeup and removing her accessories could reduce her distinguishable features, there was no way to conceal her weapon. If she were not allowed to bring the secret divine artifact… then her significance as a combatant would be greatly discounted.
“Those who board must be elite, capable of dealing with a cultist transformed into a monster,” Shandela also had headaches. In the city guard, she was the only master-level Warrior while other soldiers, though well-trained, mainly relied on muskets and cannons for battle, which really wasn’t suitable for covert operations and infiltration.
Chaoyang couldn’t help but laugh.
Wasn’t this precisely Paradise’s specialty?
Bodies used for possession could be altered to any appearance, and they were disposable, essentially eliminating the concern of exposure. The players might not be considered elite, but equipped with advanced weapons they certainly were, and at the very least, each could destroy a ship single-handedly like a walking bomb, not fearing to fail in killing the cultists. As for madness… their recklessness was probably the most extreme in this world.
“Mr. Zhao?”
“Leave the operations to me,” Chaoyang thought for a moment, “five or six people should suffice. Pretending to be nobles probably won’t work, they’re likely to have a strict invitation process. We can only pose as regular crew then.”
Shandela immediately looked at Jerry, “The crew are from the shipping company, correct?”
“Partially,” Jerry nodded, “The guards on deck, the Attendants and women needed for the event are selected by Aibuvich… I reckon he’s already decided on the personnel.”
“We need your cooperation,” she stated seriously, “Since you don’t want to become a cultist, then join our side. I will also ensure your secrecy and safety; only the few of us present will know what you’ve done. When the Goddess of Joy sets sail, you need to make sure our people are on board.”
“Can I… think it over?”
“Of course, you can even go back to think about it. But make it quick; we have to board before the passenger liner leaves port.”
“My lord…” Woody seemed to want to say something.
Shandela raised her hand, signaling him not to remind her.
“Can I really go back now?” Jerry looked surprised.
“Of course.” She made a gesture of invitation, “If you stay with us for too long, it will also arouse the suspicion of those who are watching this matter in secret. This is our gesture of sincerity and the first step in our cooperation.”
Jerry fell silent for a moment, then tentatively walked to the door.
No one stood up to stop her.
Only Shandela added, “Your bodyguards are waiting outside the residence, you’ll see them once you step out of the door.”
Jerry nodded, “Then… I’ll take my leave first.”
After finishing, he quickly left the reception room.
“I always feel we should have pressured him to agree first,” Woody muttered.
“He’s already ours, there’s no need to rush him so much,” Shandela held a completely different view, “The news getting out would be a disaster for him, he knows how to choose.”
Ge Wei also expressed agreement, “A verbal agreement is meaningless. If he’s going to hesitate for a long time before making a choice, better let him go home and think it over.”
“Actually, he has already made his choice, he just hasn’t fully accepted it yet,” Ailuodi remarked.
“Is that also your intuition?”
“Feeling isn’t the same as intuition,” she corrected the Priest, “Feeling is the conclusion I’ve reached by weighing my personal knowledge against actual experiences.”
“There’s no need to worry too much about this…” Shandela interjected, “We can’t fully trust Jerry Will, either. Woody, dispatch a trustworthy squad to monitor the Will family’s movements. Tomorrow’s patrol fleet must also be replaced with clean personnel. If Jerry’s side doesn’t work out, we’ll intercept the Goddess of Happiness at sea and take control!”
“Yes, ma’am!” the adjutant acknowledged the order.
Once everything was arranged, she slowly reclined back into her wheelchair and turned to look at Chaoyang, “I must thank you and the messenger from Paradise… The city defense forces owe you a favor.”
Ge Wei covered her mouth and stepped aside.
Chaoyang was quite willing to accept, “The heretics are the greatest threat to this city, and the messengers of Paradise certainly will not stand idly by. If there are no issues, I’ll return to the temple first. Before boarding tomorrow, I still have some preparations to make.”
“Mm, I hope this operation ends in victory,” Shandela said contentedly.
…
An emergency invitation to a new round of the game was quickly issued, and Zhang Zhiyuan and the others responded to Paradise’s call promptly. By around eight o’clock that evening, all the surviving players had arrived at the temple’s underground base.
“Is there new work to be done so soon?” Anthony began rubbing his hands together, ready to go, “It feels like the last round was just half a day ago.”
“This time, try not to feed the enemy again,” Qianyuan Meiko said coolly, “Your misjudgment led to our hiding place being exposed, and we were eventually cornered by the monster.”
“Wait… you guys didn’t fail, did you?” the Russian was taken aback.
“I don’t know, I didn’t survive till the end either.”
Anthony involuntarily turned to look at Zhang Zhiyuan.
Zhang Zhiyuan was well aware that Qianyuan Meiko was exaggerating the danger—for instance, her sniper shot had actually drawn the monster over—but considering it might restrain Anthony’s recklessness, he deliberately went along with Meiko’s story, “We won, but it was a close call. In the end, we all exchanged for explosives and went for a one-for-one battle with the monster. However, in reality, it took three of us self-detonating to completely kill the enemy.”
“Yeah, I was the last one,” Zhou Zhi, who had already discussed the battle with Zhang Zhiyuan in the real world, went on to recount the event, “It was really dangerous. I was nearly mortally wounded by the creature as I approached it, nearly failing to set off the explosives.”
For the first time, Anthony’s expression took on a more subdued note, and he clicked his tongue before falling silent.
“I always feel like the enemies we’re facing are getting stronger,” Zhou Zhi scratched his head, “It started with armored knights, and now we’re up against demons and monsters. It can’t really be an ultra-realistic game, can it?”
Everyone rolled their eyes at him in unison.
“I’ve heard about your situation at the suburban camp from Zhang Zhiyuan,” Xue Quan actually seemed optimistic, “The enemies this time were difficult because we didn’t have enough firepower. Plus, the sole RPG launcher was wasted by Mr. Anthony, which is why close combat became quite passive. As players are immortal, I recommend considering more explosives for future battles, like rifle grenades, personal cloud-burst bombs, and the like.”
“Can points be converted to these?” Cui Zhen’en couldn’t remember these items being on the exchange list.
“I’m confident that Paradise will make appropriate improvements with each game,” he replied with a smile.
At that moment, Chaoyang’s phantom appeared before everyone, “Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Paradise. The successful completion of the last bonus mission was all thanks to your outstanding performance. We will now begin with the reward distribution.”
Aside from Anthony’s 3,000, he increased everyone’s point balances by 3,500. Although prices for supplies were at the mercy of the host, he still wanted to give players the impression that the rewards were getting better and they could buy more and more things.
“In addition, before releasing the new mission, we’ve added a test segment,” Chaoyang went on, “The test itself comes without rewards, but it will provide players with a brand-new experience. This is an experience not found on Earth and even in Paradise, only a few have the luxury to enjoy it.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
Everyone’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
“The object of the test is already here.”
Chaoyang pointed to a corner of the room—where there was something covered by a tablecloth.
Anthony immediately approached and lifted the tablecloth.
A silver cross with a surface full of tarnished scratches was revealed.
