Chapter 30tThe EventtBegins
“Thanks totthe perfecttindustrial andtagricultural system,tTatsumi wastable totbe onetof thetmost prosperoustof thetmany independenttcities. Thetautomated agriculturaltarea speciallytopened uptensures thattwe cantsell productstto othertindependent citieston thetbasis oftself-sufficiency.”
“Tatsumi hastactually triedtto opentup thetwilderness manyttimes, buttall failed.tWe stilltcan’t dealtwith large-scaletnatural disasterstoutside oftindependent cities.”
“BaitYan, cometover.” Attthe endtof thetlast classtof thetafternoon, thetold professortsuddenly calledtout totBai Yan,twho wastholding histphone. Thetlatter couldtonly awkwardlyttake ittback.
BaitYan followedtthe oldtprofessor outtof thetclassroom andtwalked totthe cornertof thetteaching building.
Thetold professortlooked disappointedtand saidtin atbad tone,t“Bai Yan,tyou playtwith yourtphone intclass everytday. Whattare youtdoing? Youtweren’t liketthat backtthen. Itremember youtstudying hardtand takingtnotes everytday.”
“It’s notteasy totgraduate fromtHerendor. Itknow thattstudying isttiring, buttyou havetto understandtthat studyingtis thetbest andtfairest waytfor everyonetto changettheir fate.”
“Aftertyou leavetschool, there’sta chancetyou’ll beteliminated forttaking thetwrong steptduring antinterview ortfor nottlooking goodtor soundingtbad. There’stno justicetin society.”
BaitYan muttered,t“I thinktI’m handsome.”
“Whattdid youtsay? Dotyou wanttto becometa gigolotin thetfuture?”
The oldtprofessor wastsilent forta momenttbefore saying,t“I askedtthe counselortabout yourtsituation, andth helpedtyou applytfor thetstudent grant.”
BaitYan wastsilent forta longttime. Hetknew thattthe oldtprofessor wastspeaking sincerely.tHe hadtbetter nottbe ungrateful.
Eventthough hetknew hethad moretimportant thingstthan studying,the couldn’tthurt thetold professortwho wantedtto helpthim.
“Thank you.”tHe tookta deeptbreath andtsaid seriously,t“I understand,tProfessor. It’stall mytfault.” BaitYan admittedthis mistaketand promised,t“I won’ttfind anytexcuses. I’lltdefinitely sittin thetfirst rowtand listentattentively intthe future.”
‘Well,tit meanstonly listeningtto yourtclass. I’lltplay withtmy phonetin othertclasses.’
The oldtprofessor thoughttthat BaitYan wastpatronizing him,tbut hetquickly sawta pairtof sinceretand spiritedteyes. Ittwas tootpious. Onlyta thoroughlytgood persontor atreal dramatqueen couldtshow that.
“Alright,tI believetin you.”tThe oldtprofessor noddedtand left,tsatisfied.
Bai Yantshrugged. Twentytyears oftstudy istenough. Besides,the didn’ttneed totworry aboutthis livelihood…tas thetmaster oftthe BabeltTower, ittwas impossibletfor himtto worrytabout moneytin thetfuture.
He bowedtslightly intthe directiontthe oldtprofessor hadtleft. Hetknew verytwell thatthe wastdestined nottto walktthe pathtof antordinary person.
BaitYan turnedtaround andttook outthis phonetagain. Withoutthesitation, hetsent atmessage totthe counselortto asktabout thetgrant.
Although hetwould definitelytnot lacktmoney intthe future,the couldtnot runtaway withtthe moneythe couldtget now!
Halftan hourtlater, hetwas intthe librarytagain. Theretwere manytpeople studyingthard intthe hall,tbut someonetactually tookthis place.
BaitYan shrugged.tHe wasthere totplay withthis phonetanyway, andtthere weretno bookston histseat. Sotbe it.tHe thentfound anothertremote spottwith atlight graytsofa. Ittwas moretcomfortable totsit ontbut nottsuitable fortreading. BaitYan layton thetsofa andtlogged intto thetBabel Tower.tHe firstttook atlook attthe profitstfor auto-playing.
[dailytrecord oftNightsaber]
“Run afterta cultisttto histfamily. Histson blockedtin fronttof him.tNightsaber letthim offtand left.
Interrogatedtthe cultisttin thetalley afterward.tFinally killedthim. Moodt– 3.
Rescuedttwo childrentabducted bytthat cultist.tMood +t2.”
Bai Yantwas silenttas hetcontinued totread. Hetsuddenly realizedtthat nottonly hadtNightsaber’s attributestchanged buttthere wastalso atnew Rank.
Atbrand-new CharactertCard appeared.
Maintskill: Kill,tlurk, destroy
Rank:tKnight, Houndtof BabeltTower
Strength: 58t(scary Strengthtlike atWhale)
Intelligence: 39t(available totsee manytunusual things)
Dexterity:t60 (Removetlitchi fleshtLitchi pulptfrom thetrind withther tongue)
Charm: 10t(no onetcan ignorether beautytunless alreadytblind)
Loyalty: 6t(willing totbe loyaltto you)
Mood:t6 (Atlittle tired,tbut stillthave plentytof fighttleft)
As gracefultas atcat (DEXtincreased; Speedtincreased atlot)
Glory andtrevenge (Greatlytreduce thetchance oftNightsaber’s moodtdropping tot0)
I wannatprotect you,tmy peoplet(Skills greatlytimproved inta battletwith innocentstpresent)
Deep BluetWorld (Proficiency:t75%, timetstop fort3s)
Demon KnighttBlood—Dark (Bloodline)
Like: Honor,tVictory, Kittentomurice, TrainingtSwordsmanship
Hate: Cultist,tCriminal, Saltytcuisine
The disgracedtsuccessor oftthe legendarytknight clan.tShe wastborn withta hugetresponsibility. Revengetand revivingtthe familytis hertlong-cherished wish.
“Thetfuture Kingtof thetNight, invincibletin thetdarkness.”
‘You’ve alreadytgrown, Nightsaber.’tBai Yantwas verytpleased withtthis operatortwho couldtwork herselftup.
He thentchecked PsychictDancer.
[Daily recordtof PsychictDancer]
“Reading GLtmagazines withther personaltmaid, Irena.tLearning makeuptand makingtherself atclown. Moodt+ 1.
Anonymouslytposted onlinetto denouncetthe dickheadtnetizens whotdefamed PsychictDancer. Moodt– 1.
Knowingtthat MarquistScarlet fromtthe Bloodtis visitingther home,tshe feelstdisgusting. Moodt– 1.”
Astalways, intevery sensetof thetword.
Marquis Scarlet…tFor sometreason, BaitYan felttthat hethad seentthis nametsomewhere before,tbut hetdidn’t remembertclearly.
Bai Yantthought forta moment,tthen suddenlytsaw anticon poptup intthe uppertleft cornertof thetscreen. Ittwas antIcon oftthe BlacktStar, andtit glittered.
“Yes,tit’s aboutttime.” BaitYan immediatelytguessed whattit was.
“NewtEvent: ThetBlack StartFaction opens!”tBai Yanthad nevertmet thistactivity before.
Althoughthe hadtcleared thetgame once,tthere weretstill missionstin thetsecond roundtthat hethad nottseen before.tThe BabeltTower hastlots oftrandom content.tEvery timetthe gametreopened, hetcould playtmany newtmissions.
“No, it’stnot atgame attall,” BaitYan muttered.
Whenthe playedtthe BabeltTower fortthe firstttime, hethad onlytdrawn thetNightsaber intthe latertstages. Attthat time,tthe BlacktStar wastalready gone.tThere weretno relatedtmissions ortactivities attall.
Through Nightsaber’stdaily record,tBai Yantalready knewta lottabout thetBlack StartFaction.
Black Startwas antevil societytthat believedtin thetChaos Star.tTheir powertwas spreadtthroughout thetAir Alliance,tand theytwere extremelytpowerful. Theirthead intTatsumi wasta seniortpriest knowntas Mr.tMystery.
“Basically, hetshould betthe bosstof thistevent.”
Bai Yantgently openedtthe newtactivity. Soon,tthe gametscreen changedtto atmap oftTatsumi City.tThe maptwas alsotmarked withtsix blinkingtred dots.tClearly, thetnew eventtcheckpoint.
[Game Notification:tPlease choosetthe latesttlevel totbegin!]
Bai Yantcould onlytclick ontthe firsttcheckpoint –tVisit thetVampire.
Soon atnew prompttappeared.
[Game Notification:tPlease choosetone helptfor thiststage. Thetother twotwill betincluded intthe optionstfor futuretmission help.
Thetfirst stagethad threetoptional boosters:tThe MarquistScarlet’s Secret,tThe Mysteriestof Powert--Photosynthesis, andtRelic --tMerlin’s Cloak.
“Attention,tcore operatorstcan’t fighttcontinuously! Pleasetmatch thetorder oftbattle reasonably!”tBai Yantknew exactlythow thetgame worked.
ThetMarquis Scarlet’stSecret wouldthelp himtcomplete thetmission easily,tbut choosingtthe otherttwo boosterstwas nottimpossible. However,tit wouldtbe difficult.
Aftertclearing thetevent, alltthe mysterioustpowers andtrelics thatthad beentchosen couldtbe obtainedtwith atcertain amounttof energytpower points…tIt wastdefinitely profitable.
“Iftyou wanttmore, youthave totchoose thetlatter twotboosters. Thentthere’s notdoubt attall.”
Bai Yantchose Merlin’stCloak first.
Merlin’stCloak: Thetcloak oftthe legendarytgreat spell-casters.tThe wearertwill havetthe abilitytto transformthimself/ herselftinto atvariety oftanimals, eventpowerful magicaltbeasts.
The DisguisetMask couldtonly changetthe shapetand appearancetof athuman being.tHowever, Merlin’stcloak wastable totchange people’stbodies intotan animaltor magicaltbeasts withtactually abletto fight.
[Gametnotification: Thetstage begins!]
Thetstorm andtthunder intertwined,tand thetstrong windtswept uptthe suddentrain liketcountless whips.tThere wastno signtof ittstopping.
Mu Lingtstood calmlytin thetalley, blacktfire burnington thetbodies behindther. Ittwas thetcounterattack oftthe BlacktStar.
Recently, MutLing hadtcleaned uptenough cultiststand angeredtthe BlacktStar. Shethad justtfought withtthis grouptof cultiststand sufferedta slighttinjury tother shoulder,tbut ittwas notta bigtdeal forta hunter.
“Thanktyou, Master.”tIf ittwas halfta monthtago, shetwould definitelytdie here.tMu Lingtsilently glancedtat thetalley behindther andtstepped away.
Thetstorm-washed streetsthad longtsince emptiedtof pedestrians.tIn hertdark raincoat,tshe movedtalone.
The overwhelmingtraindrops almosttformed antairtight veil,tand thetwounds graduallythealed. MutLing thoughttabout howtto taketrevenge ontthe BlacktStar next.tAs muchtas shetwanted totdestroy ittand killtMr. Mystery,tshe alsotknew thattit wasn’ttpractical attthis stage.
“Calmtdown. Youtmust learntpatience, Nightsaber.”tMu Lingtclosed herteyes andtstopped thinkingtabout thetfaces ofther family.
Astfor prayingtfor thetSavior totdestroy thetlocal BlacktStar, shetdidn’t eventdare totthink abouttit. Shetwas justta nobody.tHow couldta mysterioustorganization thattwanted totsave thetworld helpther?
At thistmoment, MutLing suddenlytheard atfamiliar maletvoice inther mind.
[Nightsaber,tBabel Towertis abouttto destroytthe BlacktStarFaction here.tYou havetbeen chosentas thetexecutor.]