Chapter 275: The Crown Ceremony - "Hidden Truth Ruse"
Tatsumi City.
The old year has almost come to an end.
The new year is about to come.
In the Air Alliance, people have their own special holiday, which is different from the Kingdom of Dark Light and the Night Union.
They will start their holiday break on the first of January and continue for a whole six days.
During the first to sixth day of the holiday break, the Air Alliance will celebrate each day with a name representing a "Rainbow."
On the first day, which is January 1st, there is a special celebration called the "Festival of Lights."
Family members gather together when the sun rises in the morning. They put on beautiful clothes and give thanks to the Heart of Radiance for the light and warmth it brings.
In ancient legends, the Heart of Radiance repeatedly saved the world. People consider her to be the kindest and most approachable deity within the "Rainbow."
On this day, everyone will definitely eat sweet treats during lunchtime. In legends, the Heart of Radiance's favorite food is sweet treats.
Even today, there are stories of ordinary people tricking magical items from her using sweet treats.
This story is well-known to everyone. The Heart of Radiance, in the story, appears to be unaware of everything, but in reality, she knows it all. She chooses to kindly and mercifully forgive ordinary people.
In previous years, everyone eagerly looked forward to Tatsumi City's New Year celebrations.
However, this year in Tatsumi City, the atmosphere is completely different from previous years.
Even though New Year is only about ten days away, people seem completely disinterested in celebrating.
So many things have happened in these past few months, it's been quite overwhelming.
First, a beautiful ice woman wielding a sword suddenly appeared, bravely battling a colossal monster in front of everyone. Then, videos about her started appearing on the internet.
Then came the "mysterious" and "extraordinary" Night Watcher.
These things that were originally just part of urban legends, it turns out they have always existed right next to people.
Fully exposed.
And finally, there was the Babel Tower... This mysterious and magnificent organization slowly captivated people's hearts.
The golden palace still hangs in the sky today!
In just three months, everything the people of Tatsumi City knew before had completely changed.
Tatsumi City, which was once the city they grew up in, suddenly seemed to transform into a completely different place.
Because of various promotions on the internet, the members of Babel Tower had gradually become a kind of symbol in the eyes of people.
Naturally, many people began to feel fascinated by the presence of these mysterious heroes.
An Yang is one of them.
She is Mu Ling, a college student who goes to the same school as Bai Yan. For the past few months, she has been greatly admiring her senior.
On the internet, An Yang was a very productive artist, and the most well-known things she drew were a series of funny four-panel comics about the "Babel Tower".
The Babel Tower fan works were almost the most popular things on the internet in Tatsumi City nowadays.
Anya's comic account, where she shares her drawings, has recently gained many fans.
Today is Sunday. She didn't go out to play or study at the school library. Instead, she came back home and lazily lied down on the long sofa.
"Sister, are you still painting the Babel Tower?"
Anya's younger brother, who is currently in high school, suddenly walked into the living room. He went to the refrigerator and opened its door. Then, he took a bottle of cola from it and brought it over.
His name is An Yi.
Compared to his sister, who looks average, An Yi has a very handsome appearance.
For some reason, at this moment, he felt a sense of excitement in his eyes.
An Yang nodded and smiled, saying, "Yes, of course! Despite some people being negative, I will continue to paint. Besides, didn't I tell you before? Miss Nightsaber personally saved me last time! Now, I am not just an ordinary fan anymore, but someone who has a close connection with the Babel Tower on a deeper level!"
"I know, I know, you've said it dozens of times before, but... I'm so jealous! I also want to see Miss Nightsaber with my own eyes!"
An Yi took a deep breath and smiled subtly. He said, "Hmm, if Nightsaber could save me personally, I would be willing to give up ten years of my life... Honestly, I secretly wish to be Nightsaber's loyal companion."
An Yang, sitting on the couch, burst into laughter from her little brother's antics.
What is this little guy saying?
Suddenly, An Yi said, "I got into some trouble at school and I don't want to involve our parents. How about you join me, sister, on Monday to meet the teacher at school?"
An Yang blinked in surprise, remembering that his little brother was always a well-behaved child and never caused any trouble.
"Oh, um, what were you doing, An Yi?"
Without hesitation, An Yi proudly exclaimed, "I just scolded a stupid person! A few days ago, we created a Babel Tower fan group in our class and invited everyone to join... But there was this girl who refused to join and even said that she didn't care about Babel Tower."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "I was so angry when I argued with her that I couldn't control myself and ended up punching her."
An Yang froze in surprise.
Her usually gentle and timid little brother had gotten into a fight, and he had actually punched a girl?
After listening to the story, An Yang felt a bit strange in his heart. He hesitated and said, "Isn't it wrong to do that? Why did you hit someone?"
"Sister! Are you feeling sorry for them?"
Amazement filled An Yi's face, and his voice became noticeably louder as he exclaimed, "I can't believe that the teacher was swayed and took sides! Sister, how can you be like this... Those people were obviously influenced by the enemies of Babel Tower. Otherwise, why would there be Tatsumi City residents who dislike Babel Tower? Have you forgotten about those people online who spread negativity?"
An Yang remembered that Babel Tower had been criticized by some people online and nodded gently.
Indeed, it was true.
The heroes of Babel Tower did so much, but there were still some people who acted shamefully, which was very disgusting.
Maybe, my little brother couldn't help but hit someone because of this.
But she still felt that something was a little off, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on the exact reason.
An Yi said a bit unhappily, "Anyway, on Monday you have to come to school with me, that's settled."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and left, heading back to his own room.
"It's really... What's wrong with this guy..."
An Yi sat on the chair and shook her head. She opened a document on her phone that contained some people's personal information.
They were a group of people who had opinions about the Babel Tower. It was quite a challenge for the technology-savvy experts in their fan group to finally find the addresses of these individuals.
Slowly, An Yi's expression became colder as she extended her hand that didn't hold her phone.
A faint spark of electricity flickered above the palm of her hand.
"I actually knew it."
"I didn't 'just happen to' awaken my powers during this time."
In his eyes, there was an extraordinary passion that regular people didn't have. His breath and heartbeat began to intensify gradually.
"This is fate, no, it is the challenge bestowed upon me by the Savior..."
An Yi opened his wardrobe and inside were many sets of clothes, all looked like the clothes of the members of the Babel Tower.
And from each set of clothes, he took one piece, as if he wanted to wear them all.
--
An Yang sat on the sofa, thinking about what had just happened. He didn't feel very comfortable inside his heart.
She decided to continue searching for videos about the Babel Tower on the video website, hoping to alleviate her boredom.
Suddenly, she froze in place.
A video about the Babel Tower suddenly became the most popular and trending one!
It became extremely popular, even beyond what was normal and expected!
"What happened?"
An Yang immediately clicked on it and became stunned.
The name of the video was... "Babel Tower: The Hero's Demise."
What!?
"No, no, no, this can't be!"
An Yang was immediately startled. How could this be? Members of the Babel Tower dying?
"This is absolutely impossible!"
She hadn't even looked yet, but she was already getting curious. When she clicked on it, she discovered a video about "Mysterious Magic."
It was him!
An Yang's eyes widened as he watched the video. In the video, "Mysterious Magic" was bravely battling numerous enemies and creatures.
These enemies and creatures all seemed to have special powers that were restraining "Mysterious Magic," putting him in constant danger.
Luckily, "Mysterious Magic" had powers that were perfect for staying alive. With plenty of tricks up his sleeve, even when he found himself in dangerous situations, he always managed to escape successfully time and time again.
But he couldn't just run away like that.
Behind "Mysterious Magic" was a residential area, but he continued to fight, unleashing his extraordinary powers and defeating one enemy after another.
As An Yang watched the video, her heart started to tighten with worry.
"Mysterious Magic" must have looked very cool.
Although she had never seen the man's real face, she always imagined him like this in her mind. She even drew funny comics about him.
While An Yang was drawing comics, he felt that he must be a very cold and mysterious man!
Finally, one enemy after another was defeated, but "Mysterious Magic" was still alive.
An Yang sighed with relief, but to his surprise, he noticed that there was still a significant portion left on the progress bar!
"Don't! Don't! Please don't turn around, I beg you!"
However, An Yang's worries were proven to be correct.
In the video, indeed, there was a sudden reversal.
Suddenly, one enemy stood up and launched a surprise attack that pierced through the chest of "Mysterious Magic"... Although he managed to kill the enemy, he couldn't hold on any longer and slowly fell down.
"Oh no!"
An Yang screamed and instantly, his body felt drained of all its strength.
Is he... dead?
She noticed a line of large text in the video, which had a paragraph written on it - "A fierce battle taking place in the Dawn District..."
--
Bai Yan also watched the video at home. At this very same time yesterday, a fierce battle did indeed happen in the Dawn District.
And many people witnessed the figure of "Mysterious Magic".
In the video, "Mysterious Magic" appears to be dead now. The video was captured roughly and looked like a homemade movie, but somehow, it made everything feel more real.
But deep down, Bai Yan understood something.
"Mysterious Magic," also known as Alan, couldn't possibly die because of this.
He knew this very well... It was impossible not to know, as the game would reveal hints.
"Since I already know about it, then his request for the Crown Ceremony cannot be fulfilled."
He started to think deeply.
"The trickery must remain unknown until the 'reveal', when nobody knows the truth."
Bai Yan had purposely avoided reading the operator logs about "Mysterious Magic" recently, fearing that he would disrupt the Crown Ceremony.
But Alan found it too difficult to fulfill the three requirements of the "Hidden Truth Ruse".
"I'm really sorry, but I can't help you with the requirements for this Crown Ceremony... You'll have to figure it out on your own."
Bai Yan gently shook his head, thinking that the progress of the "Fusion Slime" was somewhat better compared to that of "Mysterious Magic".
He had spent enough Source Energy Points in the Library of Ruina and now he was inquiring about the last piece of "Extraordinary Material".
Bai Yan, of course, felt a little sorry for the points spent, but he believed that everything would be worth it in the end.
Although the Library of Ruina didn't directly state where it could be found, it strongly hinted at where it came from.
But the conditions were too demanding, leaving Bai Yan feeling somewhat helpless.
"It seems that having a bit of luck is important."
He put down his phone and turned around to leave the bedroom.
Today is the day when Evie, the Innocent Singer, is going to give him the "Shimmering Stone".
Bai Yan, in the demeanor of Viscount Edmond, once again arrived at the garden.
He sat calmly in his familiar chair and took out a letter from his pocket.
This is an invitation to a charity event.
Viscount Edmond, unlike his other identities, is a kind-hearted character who loves to help others. Until now, Bai Yan has spent a lot of money on charitable causes.
Anyway, he never runs out of money nowadays.
The nobles believed that the more money they spent in this area, the better their reputation would be. Now, the newly arrived Viscount Edmond has also gained some fame.
A duke named Mori planned to host a charity event after the New Year and warmly invited Viscount Edmond to attend.
Although secular nobles without territories have lost their existence, the foundation of high society still remains. Especially for this duke, whose status is very high, he is someone who can help the "Pupil of Dark Light" make money.
"If the world doesn't end by then, we still need to go," Bai Yan chuckled.
He kept waiting, expecting the Innocent Singer to appear soon.
Finally, Evie emerged, dressed in a flowing black robe.
In her hands, there was a box that was neither too big nor too small, just the perfect size to hold something the size of a fist.
As Evie caught sight of Viscount Edmond, a look of surprise appeared on her face.
"What? What's happening?"
"Why did I come here... who are you? Wait, what is this thing in my hand?"
She covered her head, slowly becoming more and more frightened, and even opened her mouth, wanting to attack Bai Yan.
"Calm down a little, please."
Bai Yan gently snapped his fingers.
"Ah, ah, ahhhhhh......"
The familiar sound and trembling made Evie, who wanted to attack, once again become bewildered with her eyes.
Bai Yan smiled and spoke slowly, "The thing I wanted, you have already obtained, right?"
"Hmm."
Evie, with lifeless eyes, nodded gently and opened the box in her hands.
Inside, to everyone's surprise, there was a transparent crystal that continuously emitted flashes of lightning.
The Shimmering Stone.
Very well.
Bai Yan stood up from the bench and slowly walked over. He took the box and carefully stored it away.
"Did anyone suspect your actions in these past few days?"
"Hmm."
Evie nodded her head once more.
The present "Innocent Singer" indeed appears very well-behaved now, without any of the past anger and sharp tongue.
"One day, you and your sister, we all will be able to meet at the Babel Tower... I wonder what the situation will be like then."
Bai Yan smiled and shook his head. He took the "Shimmering Stone" and left.
"Bang!"
Once again, Evie "woke up" from her daze, and after the usual confusion, she returned.
--
Tatsumi City.
Many people spontaneously took to the streets, starting to mourn for the hero in their hearts, the warrior of Babel Tower.
"Mysterious Magic"
One of the members of the Babel Tower.
His death has been officially confirmed by the Demon Hunt Agency, without a doubt.
Many fans of the Babel Tower were heartbroken when they heard about this, finding it hard to accept. Some people would rather believe that he didn't die but instead got seriously injured, hoping that one day he would come back as a hero.
However, there were also many people who accepted his death.
More and more Tatsumi City residents were gathering on the streets, holding candles and praying for the hero.
He was not the first person to sacrifice for Tatsumi City, but he was certainly the first one officially confirmed to have died. He was a hero of the Babel Tower.
An Yang and An Yi were also in the team, both of them crying very hard, especially An Yang.
She really liked "Mysterious Magic", but he suddenly died.
Indeed, it turned out that even the hero of Babel Tower could also die.
For some reason, An Yang's heart started to feel a sense of fear. All this time, she had believed that Babel Tower was invincible, that they would always be victorious and unstoppable in battle. It had always been that way.
But this time... it was completely different.
As if there was something that pulled An Yang back from the imaginary world to reality.
Hmm.
In the real world, heroes can die.
"Sister," An Yi called out.
An Yi lowered his voice and said, "There are too many enemies for Babel Tower. Their burden is heavy, we must find a way to help them share it."
An Yang nodded gently, unsure of what to say.
She was just an ordinary person, and the only thing she could really do to support the Babel Tower was draw.
The previous interview made her realize that Miss Nightsaber was actually a person, just like everyone else. She had feelings, she could breathe, and she could blink her eyes... Maybe she even had someone she liked.
But even though they were like that, they were willing to risk their lives and face danger firsthand, fighting in life-or-death situations again and again.
In An Yang's heart, the respect for the organization called Babel Tower grew stronger.
At night, people who spontaneously mourned on the streets came to the obelisk in the park.
Since the Tatsumi City Demon Hunt Agency was incorporated, the Obelisk of the Sun area has been declared open, and many people have been cured of diseases and healed both physically and mentally by its magical power.
A large number of candles were placed on the ground, and the mourning began. People stood silently, without saying a word.
Unaware of when, Bai Yan had already joined the crowd.
But no one could find a trace of him, and everyone ignored his presence.
Bai Yan silently looked around at the crowd. There were so many people, really a lot. And considering those who hadn't come out of their homes, the number of deceived individuals this time should truly exceed one million.
The problem arose.
Knowing the truth, he knew very well that there was no way Alan had actually died... In this case, the Crown Ceremony could not possibly be carried out.
"Could it be possible that he even deceived me..."
Speaking of which, Bai Yan remembered something.
After Alan faked his death, there was a lot of commotion.
If he were to casually come back to life, without regard for people's emotions, would it create a negative perception of the Babel Tower among many of the citizens?
Bai Yan didn't really care about how others viewed the Babel Tower, but he thought that Mu Ling and the others might be concerned about it.
He hoped that Alan's Crown Ceremony wouldn't cause a negative impact on how people viewed the Babel Tower, resulting in a disagreement between Alan, Mu Ling, and the others.
At that moment, Bai Yan suddenly "heard" someone's voice spreading through the crowd.
[As long as we shouted the name of the Savior, we could bring back the hero of the Babel Tower.]
[If we called out the name of the Savior, we could bring back the hero of the Babel Tower.]
[As long as we shouted the name of the Savior, we could bring back...]
Various voices kept popping up in the hearts of the crowd, again and again.
Bai Yan quickly realized that several Night Watchers hidden among the crowd were the ones who had done good deeds. They were all Night Watchers, probably arranged by Alan.
So that's how it was! This explained why Alan hadn't died.
Bai Yan couldn't help but comment, "Are you pretending to be Ultraman, kiddo?"
Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere, and it made many people in their hearts start to think.
They shouted in their hearts, calling out the Savior's name, hoping that He would bring the heroes of Babel Tower back to life.
After activating the power possession of "Psychic Dancer," Bai Yan could hear the thoughts of many people. He could faintly feel numerous dots of light floating in the air.
It seemed like they possessed a special kind of power, but he didn't know how to use them.
If he didn't awaken the "Connection," he wouldn't even be able to see these dots of light. They seemed like a power that constantly burst forth from the "voices" inside people's hearts.
Although each dot of light was very faint, what made them special was their vast number.
Bai Yan, lost in thought, started to vaguely understand that this was what they called the power of faith.
If it was a genuine deity or someone with extraordinary powers, they could make use of it in a sensible way.
At least in the first playthrough of the game "Babel Tower," the Core Operators who became deities could harness the power of faith. However, whether or not to use it became a matter of choice.
Because once they accepted this power, it also meant that they had taken on the corresponding responsibility.
So, many deities didn't have any followers.
Finally, the so-called "miracle" really happened.
In front of everyone's watchful eyes, a beam of golden light descended from the obelisk.
Within the beam of light, a figure slowly appeared, leaving almost everyone in the audience astonished.
"So that's how it was..."
Alan, who was putting on a show all by himself, floated in mid-air. His voice filled the venue, and every person could hear him.
"As long as there is the kind and good 'Savior' present, Babel Tower will not fail, and we will not vanish..."
Alan's words at this moment were very dramatic and sounded a bit like something from a fantasy story. But right now, the atmosphere perfectly matched that feeling.
Everyone heard this sentence.
As long as the Savior remains, the heroes of Babel Tower will never truly vanish!
They were immortal!
"Mmm, this could be considered as 'personally explaining the truth'," Bai Yan pondered.
The people in the crowd were very excited and astonished, clearly showing that the emotions needed for the Crown Ceremony were already sufficient.
So far, everything done for the "Hidden Truth Ruse" has been very successful.
But, is that enough?
Bai Yan whispered to himself, saying,
"But, there is one more thing missing, me and the other people at Babel Tower all know... you were never really going to die from the beginning."
Just at that moment, Bai Yan heard Alan's words and realized that he had also been deceived.
"I was attacked in the Platinum Zone..."
Alan's first words didn't match the "information" in the video.
This was just a harmless little trick, even smaller than randomly broadcasting weather forecasts.
But, it still worked.
The atmosphere at the scene was incredibly intense.
In the Crown Ceremony, it was not said that the "emotion-stirring trick" and the "trick to deceive a million people without them knowing the truth" had to be the same!
