Chapter 318: Their Ascension
"Arrive in Paradise" Entertainment Card, in use.
The copy is opened.
The first Core Operator Bai Yan chose was none other than his most familiar character, Nightsaber.
That is Mu Ling.
There is no need to explain the reason, as not sending Mu Ling into battle requires explanation.
"Please, could you go and find some Purified Water for me? It's the kind of water that will make you feel completely refreshed and loyal, times ten... Even though I don't think you necessarily need to drink it, this substance might have other uses."
Bai Yan pondered for a moment. The second Core Operator he chose to send into battle was the recently drawn "Sacred Heart's Chosen."
He entered the "Real Digital World" and began to dissect the Babel Tower. There, he caught a glimpse of a small portion of the underlying data. Inside the "Arrive in Paradise" instance, there was a possibility of earning additional rewards by having the "Sacred Heart's Chosen" participate.
Although he didn't quite understand the reason, Bai Yan naturally wouldn't miss any of the "hidden" content in the game.
As for the third Core Operator chosen to participate in the battle...
Bai Yan pondered for a while, and in the end, he made the decision to send the "Psychic Dancer."
In this case, it would be "the adorable little puppy."
After various upgrades, she now possesses a strong foundation to ascend as a Crown. Furthermore, with the aid of powerful relics and mystical powers, the Psychic Dancer becomes virtually unbeatable below the Apocalypse level.
Why didn't Bai Yan choose the Scarlet Moon as the Core Operator in the end?
Because of the environment in the new instance, it would cause her significant harm... Vampires entering heaven, it would be a suicidal path for her, wouldn't it?
"But there was a certain giant vampire who could actually go to heaven..." Bai Yan mumbled to himself.
It can only be said that different types of vampires have different limitations.
The Scarlet Moon, upon entering the new instance, would continue losing blood and eventually, after a while, would burst into flames right where she stood.
Just as Bai Yan was idly flipping through the Scarlet Moon's character card, he suddenly noticed that there was a brand new Trait added to it.
"Divine (Incomplete): greatly enhances the character's abilities from all aspects and also grants various special resistances, allowing the character to uncover new potentials."
Am I truly the God of Games?
Bai Yan had to ponder this question once again. The Scarlet Moon, who continuously drew upon her own blood, had obtained an incomplete divinity.
The blood contains the power of the soul, which means that, in some way, one's own soul possesses a certain element of "divinity".
He recalled the image he had seen at the Demon Hunt Agency, a battle between "himself" thirteen years ago and Pride... Could that persona possibly be the manifestation of a "god"?
However, something didn't feel right in certain places.
Bai Yan heard some people mention another name in reference to him.
"Connector"
Who could he be?
Bai Yan decided to go to the Library of Ruina to gather information about the two entities... Even though this action would require a significant amount of energy points, he knew it was necessary.
--
Tatsumi City.
Inside the Augustus family's mansion complex, within the most luxurious villa, in the main dining hall, numerous servants politely stood on both sides, serving their masters as they enjoyed their meal.
Maryse wore an exquisite white cashmere sweater, her hair neatly tied up as she sat at the head of the table, while her loyal and devoted maid, Irena, stood silently at her side.
And her older brother, Phoenix, sat at the very end of the table, his fists clenched and his head lowered, too afraid to look at his own sister.
No way, this little fellow was just too terrifying for him.
For the past while, Phoenix felt that Maryse was even scarier than the monsters in horror movies! If he hadn't undergone treatment through sorcery, her antics would have driven him to insanity!
But now, Phoenix had a favor to ask of Maryse.
Therefore, he had no choice but to come here.
Phoenix's legs were trembling, unsure of how to articulate the situation. But deep down, he knew that once he had thought it through, his sister would surely understand.
In this way, he no longer needed the courage to speak up.
"Well, I got it," Maryse calmly lowered her head and skillfully used the chopsticks to take a bite of the matsutake mushrooms on the dining table. She said, "I will definitely go."
"Really?" Phoenix exclaimed, lifting his head with joyous surprise.
"Of course not, has your adorable sister ever deceived you?" Maryse chuckled, her eyes filled with mischief.
Have you deceived me only a few times?
Phoenix dared not think further and quickly got up and ran, shouting without looking back, "In short, as the leader arrived, we must attend the banquet he has organized, otherwise the Augustus family will surely encounter trouble. I hope you can keep your promise."
Hmph, I don't care at all about what happens to this family!
I don't care about the leader either!
Maryse shook her head. She simply wanted to know the new leader's clear stance regarding the Babel Tower.
Only this matter was very important.
Even though Mr. Profligate didn't explicitly ask her to make contact with the other person, Maryse still wanted to take a glimpse of the situation. It was one of the few things she could do for Mr. Profligate.
"What on earth am I doing... I don't need to rely on anyone... Even if I do these things, there won't be any rewards..."
You, you little rascal, are you so afraid of being abandoned like this?
Maryse sighed, with her head resting on the table. Irena glanced at her and shook her head.
["Psychic Dancer, you will experience the sensation of ascending to the heavens."]
In her mind, a familiar voice floated into view.
Although this cold and distant young voice appeared suddenly, at this point Maryse was neither shocked nor afraid.
She had grown accustomed to it.
Unfortunate and impatient Savior, oh no, it's my dear, magnificent Savior, unabashedly playing with her own heart... and body, and even her mind... sigh.
Feeling frustrated, let it be destroyed!
Just as Maryse was quietly grumbling in her routine inner thoughts, the scenery around her began to blur incessantly, slowly spinning, until it ultimately transformed completely, as if by magic.
She arrived at a completely different place, a place she had never been to before!
Here was so remarkably different, it left Maryse utterly astonished. All around her, within arm's reach, was a sea of white clouds, even beneath her feet.
She found herself standing on a white cloud!
Behind her, for some unknown reason, there was a lingering force of attraction, as if it wanted to pull her back to a certain place.
A gentle breeze swept by, and Maryse rose from the white clouds, immediately noticing two female figures.
One of them was Mu Ling, whom she was familiar with. Mu Ling was wearing her familiar black clothes, had long white hair, and her wine-red eyes were unforgettable.
The other woman seemed a bit unfamiliar... She was dressed in golden knight armor with short golden hair, and her bright eyes shone with the pure radiance of a true seeker of enlightenment.
He was really tall, so tall!
Maryse squinted her eyes and estimated that he was at least 175 centimeters tall, but his physique was quite the opposite of Mu Ling's... It was a completely different image from her own!
Clearly, he was equally deserving of disdain!
"Wow... Did they all grow up drinking milk from cows?"
Maryse pouted, putting on a seemingly innocent expression, and walked forward with her hands behind her back.
"New member? Hello there! I am also a member of Babel Tower. Well, I guess you can call me the 'Psychic Dancer,' hehe."
To be honest, from the moment she was summoned until now, Aurora has been a little slow to grasp the situation.
Aurora felt very bewildered.
Where am I?
Who are they?
The suddenness of the situation was extremely exaggerated. Aurora, upon seeing the two women who had suddenly appeared, instinctively became more vigilant.
After listening to the girl's self-introduction, Aurora pondered for a moment and asked in return:
"Are you also the chosen ones by the Savior?"
In the white mist, Mu Ling with her long white hair floating in the wind, calmly approached and gently nodded towards the new members.
"Yes, we have all been chosen by the great Savior, and you are too... And incredibly fortunate as we are, we will use this power to continue rescuing others."
Mu Ling hesitated for a moment and introduced herself, "I am also a member of Babel Tower, chosen by the Savior, Nightsaber... If we're correct in our thinking, you are a new member of Babel Tower, right?"
Aurora looked at the young girl with white hair before her and realized something.
That is, she had never lied or deceived herself.
The girl's eyes were incredibly sincere, with a pure and honest expression that only the truly upright possess. Aurora, being experienced and astute, rarely misunderstood people.
Yes, she, just like herself, was a person of faith.
"I am willing to believe in you."
Aurora nodded gently and smiled.
She primarily believed in the girl before her, Mu Ling, and remained cautious towards the girl who claimed to be a "Psychic Dancer".
"My name is Aurora, and I am the chosen one of the Sacred Heart. The Savior has given me the title of 'Sacred Heart's Chosen'... My mission is to save the land and the people around me who are suffering."
Aurora wasted no time and explained her situation straightforwardly. At the same time, something seemed strange. The attire of these two women was very peculiar, something she had never seen or heard of before.
The girl who called herself the "Psychic Dancer" appeared adorable, but in reality, she possessed the potential of a "bomb" and was difficult to control.
Aurora, having commanded all sorts of people, quickly noticed Maryse's character flaw.
Hmph, why am I not worthy of trust? What kind of metaphor is a bomb? What kind of person?
Maryse, who could read minds automatically, was about to roll her eyes in exasperation.
Don't judge people by appearances, you jerk!
She reached out and gripped the golden armor on Aurora's body, speaking with a mischievous tone, akin to that of a little demon:
"You don't believe us, but it doesn't matter. Now, there is no escape, oh! Your body, soul, and the secrets deep within your heart, are all the belongings of the Savior now."
Maryse extended her finger and gently tapped on Aurora's fair neck, causing the blonde knight to momentarily pause in surprise.
"In a place invisible to your eyes, there was already an invisible collar. It will bind you forever..." Before she could finish speaking, Mu Ling suddenly tapped her on the head.
"Bang!"
Mu Ling calmly looked at Aurora and said,
"Don't mind her, she just likes to act silly sometimes... Anyways, our ultimate goal is to save the world, and the Savior is the owner of our organization, 'Babel Tower.' They are also our guide, who will give us tasks and powers."
Aurora nodded. In truth, she still couldn't quite grasp the cause and effect, but she knew that the two people before her could help her.
Maryse sat on the ground, hugging her head with a hint of tears in her voice.
"Besides my... besides that old guy Reno, no one has ever hit me on the head in all these years! Ouch, it hurts so bad..."
Aurora suddenly revealed a smile filled with maternal warmth, crouching down and gently rubbed Maryse's cheek.
"Are you okay? I understand now, it was my mistake. I shouldn't have been wary of you just now..."
In the Knights of the Sacred Heart's headquarters, Aurora's home, hundreds of orphans have been adopted and they also take care of lightweight logistical tasks.
She was no stranger to how to manage these love-deprived little ones. She knew that only by giving unconditionally first could she earn their open-hearted trust.
And such passionately inclined individuals, once they have set their sights on someone, become even more loyal than ordinary people, resistant to bribery, and never betray.
Inside the heart of the female knight, a hint of compassion arose for the girl.
She had always been fighting for these children, she was before, and she would be in the future.
"I am not an orphan..."
Maryse murmured to herself, vowing to no longer engage in any nonsensical actions. The words spoken within the female knight's heart struck a chord within her, inexplicably.
Finally, the three of them began to explore their surroundings.
"The so-called Babel Tower..."
While Mu Ling was telling Aurora about the situation regarding the Babel Tower, she also made an interesting discovery.
In this instance, none of them were being controlled by the Savior. They were all in a state of complete freedom.
He gradually decided to let go.
Perhaps our performance has already been acknowledged, you know.
Mu Ling shook her head, suppressing her wild thoughts. She couldn't help but wonder, "Could it be that... I have been abandoned?"
Aurora was also lost in thought, seemingly pondering some very important matters. She had just received a great deal of information.
Maryse suddenly exclaimed in shock, "Hey, what were you just thinking? Holy Light Kingdom, Heavenly God Church, and so on. Could it be that you come from another world? Not from the Noah people?"
"Do you know how to read minds?"
Aurora was also surprised, amazed that she could see through everything she had been thinking in her heart.
Despite being a chosen one, she naturally possessed resistance in this aspect.
Indeed, the "Psychic Dancer" standing before them may appear to be a young girl, but her extraordinary powers were not to be underestimated.
"First of all, I am not a little girl. I am actually older than the violent and vulgar girl who picks on her classmates... Secondly, you guessed it right, slow-witted, I can indeed read minds!"
Maryse was still displeased with Mu, who had hit her head, and her words carried a strange mix of sarcasm and hidden meaning.
Mu Ling paused for a moment, sincerely apologizing with a serious expression, "I'm very sorry, you're right, completely right. I shouldn't have laid hands on my classmate... I just couldn't control myself."
"There will never be another chapter."
[No way... I won't be able to resist next time either. Well, let me apologize first... However, it seems like she can hear my thoughts...]
Mu Ling's words made Maryse pout, and she didn't feel like responding at all.
She looked at Mu Ling, who pretended to be serious but was actually laughing inside, and felt a strong urge to step on her feet.
Hmph!
Get lost!
I knew even the fake serious you would never sincerely apologize for something like this! You're making fun of me!"
Mu Ling maintained a serious expression, appearing calm, but her cheeks blushed ever so slightly.
Maryse understood that her little scheme must have been overheard; just by looking at her expression, it was evident.
Aurora had a gentle smile on her face as she softly touched the hair of the two girls.
"Dear friends, let's explore our surroundings... Have you felt a continuous attraction coming from behind? Perhaps, our stay in this world is limited in time."
For some reason, the surroundings always gave Aurora a sense of familiarity.
But she was absolutely certain about one thing.
That is, she had never been here before.
"Why does this feel so familiar?" Aurora wondered, struggling to understand.
At the same time, Maryse let out a little hum.
This person is quite familiar and dared to touch my head without permission. It's really annoying.
Maryse rolled her eyes Maryse rolled her eyes, even though she was only one year older, acting all smothering with maternal love.
Mu Ling looked around and saw hundreds of white clouds in the sky, gently drifting. Within a few of these clouds, there seemed to be something special.
"I need to sharpen my senses, to explore what is happening around me..."
Mu Ling took a deep breath and began to display her incredible abilities.
NightFall.
However, the expected darkening of the sky didn't happen as it should have, yet Mu Ling's senses became remarkably stronger.
"The darkness has actually appeared, we just can't see it..." Mu Ling felt that the current situation was tremendously peculiar.
Perhaps it was due to some kind of rule that prevented the concept of "night" from appearing normally.
She furrowed her brows slightly, but still closed her eyes and began to sense the white clouds around her, especially those clouds that held the presence of something special...
The clouds beneath their feet, along with those around them, seemed like a tiny "solitary island", but on some of these "islands" existed extraordinarily special things, clearly needing careful investigation.
"Let's go and take a look. On the 'island' formed by many clouds, there are special things, like the recent one..."
Mu Ling pointed at the nearby white clouds and then took out "Anathemas Star Chains", throwing it towards them.
The chains linked her and the cloud "island" together.
Mu Ling glanced at the two of them, hesitatingly asking, "Are you both going to hold on to me?"
In theory, if both of them held onto her, she would be able to take both of them across in one breath.
But Aurora, wearing the golden armor, was tall, and with Maryse beside her, Mu Ling couldn't help but feel crowded with the images playing one after another in her mind.
"Ha, not necessary!" Maryse exclaimed loudly.
[She was still angry, wondering how to comfort her. Like a child... this is bad.]
Mu Ling silently pondered for a moment.
"You thinking that makes me even angrier!" Maryse glared in Mu Ling's direction, causing Mu Ling to turn her head slightly.
She muttered, "Sorry, I couldn't resist... and you do look..."
"Stop talking! The first thing I'm going to do when we get back to Tatsumi City is to strangle you to death!"
Maryse was getting angrier and more frustrated, her head almost ready to explode. She yelled at Aurora, "And you, you're not allowed to think I'm cute!"
Aurora nodded without replying, simply smiling gently.
[Giggles]
[Becoming more adorable]
She now had little vigilance towards this little one, and indeed, she was trustworthy. Most villains wouldn't be so... amusing, one might say?
Maryse completely didn't want to bother with these two good-for-nothings anymore.
Oh no!
"Let me show you the new abilities I have mastered. I am now so powerful that even I am scared! Hmph!"
In the next moment, Maryse vanished into thin air.
Mu Ling and Aurora were both frozen in astonishment, for neither of them had realized how the other had vanished.
"Surprisingly, Mu Ling found herself on top of that cloud instantly, as if she had teleported... but something wasn't right." Mu Ling could sense that Maryse had actually accelerated herself in an instant.
In a swift moment, she "moved" herself right onto the cloud she pointed at!
"Yes," she replied.
Ever since Bai Yan had elevated his proficiency of "Deep Red - Divine Punishment" to one hundred percent, Maryse had been able to effortlessly "move" herself around!
She would no longer suffer any physical harm from high-speed movements.
There are still some drawbacks, though, such as temporarily being unable to make precise turns while moving at high speeds, and not being able to launch attacks during this concentration-required process.
And every time Maryse used high-speed displacement, she would expend a considerable amount of her spiritual energy, unable to unleash it endlessly.
However, even with a proficiency level of one hundred percent, "Deep Red - Divine Punishment" remained an extremely powerful ability.
The level of agility was excessively exaggerated, to the point that Maryse had already moved several hundred meters before Mu Ling and Aurora could even react.
Maryse, who was the first to arrive on the new Cloudland, felt a sense of pride and chuckled. "Finally, a bit of tranquility reached my ear," she thought happily.
After a moment, Mu Ling, who had grabbed Aurora's arm, ascended using the chain.
"Ah, why are you all so slow?" Maryse began mocking without hesitation.
However, the two "mischievous" girls glanced at each other, understanding each other's thoughts, and paid no attention to Maryse, leaving her with a sense of swinging at empty air.
"Drat!" exclaimed Maryse.
Maryse pouted her lips.
Mu Ling was such an infuriating person! I must find an opportunity to steal all her clothes while she's taking a bath!
Maryse grew angrier and angrier!
Just as Aurora pointed ahead, she frowned and said, "Here, it seems to be the remains of a palace... such a strange sense of déjà vu... Could it be that I've been to this place in my dreams?"
They all looked ahead together and discovered that within the misty clouds lay a faint glimpse of crumbling ruins.
Once a magnificent palace, crafted from white marble, had been smashed into countless pieces by some terrifying force. Even a small fragment of the shattered stone stood tens of meters tall, and the grandeur of the entire palace in its original state was beyond imagination.
However, at this moment, only the remnants of a magnificent and colossal palace remained!
Mu Ling, with her powerful perception, also noticed that the enormous white stone had a special imprint of golden rings and waves on it, as if it had been marked by some extraordinary power.
After catching sight of that peculiar imprint, Aurora's face suddenly changed drastically.
"How could this be..."
Her body trembled slightly, her steps faltered, and her eyes were filled with astonishment, as if she had seen the most terrifying, frightening, and unbelievable thing in her entire life!
"This can't be true! Absolutely impossible!"
Mu Ling blinked in surprise and looked at Aurora, unsure of what had happened to her.
"Aurora, what did you find? Do you have any questions?"
Aurora didn't reply, her face contorted with an unusual anguish, as if reality had become unbearable for her, on the verge of breaking down.
Maryse could hear Aurora's thoughts.
She showed a very surprised expression.
"Did you feel... that everything here is almost exactly the same as the divine land in the myth, where the so-called 'heavenly gods' exist?"
"Hundreds and thousands of white clouds, like isolated islands..."
"Actually, it was a shattered kingdom?"
