ctnovel Chapter 17: Turning the Chessboard Upside Down, Using Gods as a Bet!
Chapter 17: Turning the Chessboard Upside Down, Using Gods as a Bet!
The cave was deathly silent.
In the air, the sweet, fishy smell of the melting divine crystals mingled with the abyssal chill emanating from the "Godslayer Aberrant" to create a nauseating odor.
Zhuang Bugui knelt on one knee, head bowed, not daring to look at Wang Yan or the sword.
The stewed goose in the iron pot and Qiqi huddled in the corner, their breathing stopped.
The entire world seemed to consist only of the two constantly burning messages on Wang Yan's retina.
The betrayal of the Abyss Walker.
Su Zihan's General.
Wang Yan.
Less than twelve hours after the server opened, his real name was pierced by an invisible needle into this world made of code.
He calmly looked at the friend request.
[Friend request from: Sword as its Man]
[Postscript: I've calculated the energy resonance frequency below that coordinate. Now, I have its precise location. Shall we go and dig it out together, "Wang Yan"?]
"Boss..." Zhuang Bugui finally couldn't help but speak in a hoarse voice.
He saw that Wang Yan's face showed no anger or panic, only a deathly stillness like the sea before a storm.
This calm is more unsettling than any roar.
Wang Yan ignored him.
He clicked "Agree".
[System: You have added "Sword as the Man" as a friend. You can start chatting now.]
Almost instantly, the message popped up.
[Sword reflects its owner: Quick reaction. It seems you've already decided what percentage you want.]
She spoke as if she were a business partner, her tone as calm as if she were discussing a routine business deal.
Wang Yan laughed silently, his eyes revealing a hint of mockery.
His fingers tapped on the virtual keyboard, and his reply consisted of only three words.
[Untitled: You're wrong.]
There was a three-second silence in the private chat channel.
[The sword reflects the man: ?]
[Unnamed: You calculated the frequency correctly, the location correctly, and even my name correctly.]
[Untitled: But you miscalculated the cost.]
[Untitled: You think there's treasure down there? A 'treasure' that can change the course of a second-order inquisitor and draw the gaze of the Abyss Watcher?]
Wang Yan's fingertips stopped.
He wanted to see Su Zihan's reaction.
If she's scared off, then she's just a smart data analyst.
If she...
[Sword as the Man: Interesting. It seems you've accessed a higher level of information. This further confirms my judgment—below that coordinate lies a 'singularity' powerful enough to change the game.]
[Sword as its essence: I still have the same question, how do you want to divide it?]
She did not back down.
On the contrary, they became even more excited.
The smile on Wang Yan's lips vanished completely, leaving only coldness.
well.
The "theoretical madman" from his previous life truly lived up to his name.
He needs a smart person, someone who can keep up with his thinking and even help him complete his plan.
[Unnamed: points? 】
[Untitled: Who told you I was going to break up with you?]
[Untitled: Su Zihan, put away your self-righteous partnership game. You now have two choices.]
Wang Yan's typing speed suddenly increased, each word as sharp as a knife.
[Unnamed: 1. Stay where you are and wait for the Council of Gods and the monsters from the Abyss to wipe the starting village off the map, then pray that the energy explosion won't affect your offline safe zone.]
[Untitled: Two, bring your brain, and wait for me at the entrance of the newbie village within one hour.]
[Untitled: You wanted to know the price? I'll show you.]
[Untitled: Remember, you are not my teammate, nor my partner.]
[Unnamed: You are the part in my plan, the one responsible for the calculations.]
After saying that, Wang Yan immediately closed the private chat channel without even looking at the other party's reply.
He turned around, his dark eyes sweeping over the three people in front of him.
"Go back to the starting village, now, immediately, right away."
"Boss... is it Indra and the Cyclops...?" the stewed goose in the iron pot stammered.
"The corpses and spoils are there, they won't escape us." Wang Yan strode towards the cave entrance. "But some things, if you're even a step too late, you'll lose everything."
His divine perception expanded instantly.
The shadowy piranhas that had been on their way had vanished without a trace.
It wasn't scared away, but rather... it was wiped out by some higher predator.
In the underground river channels, some huge skeletons that didn't belong here and had been completely eaten have appeared.
It is a monster from the rocky hills.
The Cyclops' rampage disrupted the entire region's ecosystem.
This is good.
The more chaotic things are, the easier it is for him to take advantage of the situation.
The four returned at full speed.
On the way, Zhuang Bugui tried to speak several times, but was stopped by a look from Wang Yan.
Now is not the time to explain.
When they burst out of the underground fissure and saw the sky over Blackrock Canyon again, the countdown for the Second Sequence Trial in the upper right corner of Wang Yan's panel had less than ten hours left.
Meanwhile, in his private chat channel, there was a message sent five minutes earlier.
From Su Zihan.
There is only one word.
[The sword reflects the man: Good.]
……
Beginner Village.
The most lively, yet also the most chaotic place in the entire server.
Countless LV1 players roamed around the village like worker bees, chopping down scarecrows and beating up wild boars.
No one noticed that under the huge oak tree at the village entrance, a female player with the ID "Sword as the Person" had been standing quietly for half an hour.
She was dressed in the most ordinary beginner's clothes, holding a beginner's wooden staff in her hand. Her appearance had been adjusted by the system to the most common level, making her inconspicuous in the crowd.
Only she knew that her heart was beating 15% faster than usual.
That man called "Unnamed"...
That man named "Wang Yan"...
Who exactly is he?
A reborn individual? Or a special NPC who possessed the beta test data?
The terms he coined, such as "Council of Gods" and "Abyss Watcher," all point to a grand narrative that far exceeds the current cognitive limits of players.
Am I really just a cog in his machine?
Su Zihan didn't like this feeling.
She is used to being in control of everything, incorporating all variables into her computational model.
Wang Yan is the first and only variable in her model.
Just then, four figures came rushing out of the woods outside the village, passing straight through the crowded people, and stopped in front of her.
The one leading them was Wang Yan.
His LV15 level and his battle-worn gear stood out among the countless LV1 alts.
"You've come." Wang Yan looked at her, his tone indifferent.
"I'm here." Su Zihan nodded, her gaze passing over him and landing on the strangely shaped, ominous black longsword on his back. "Is this the God-Slaying series?"
"It's called a 'mutant'," Wang Yan corrected, then changed the subject, "Time is short, I'll only say it once."
"Second-order Inquisitor, LV45, Epic Boss, target is the ground beneath our feet. Expected to arrive in nine hours and forty minutes."
"The Abyss Walker, the former holder of the Godslayer series, is hiding in the shadows with unknown motives, but he wants us to dig out what's underground for him."
"The Abyss Watcher, a higher being whose stance is unclear, revealed its coordinates to you, and to me as well. It wants to watch the show."
Wang Yan spoke extremely fast, each sentence like a nail driven into Su Zihan's mind.
Su Zihan's breath hitched.
"Now, do you still think there's treasure down there?" Wang Yan looked at her, his eyes revealing a hint of sarcasm.
Su Zihan fell silent.
After a long while, she raised her head, her eyes regaining absolute calm.
"I understand. This is a dead end. If we defend, we will be crushed by the three forces. If we run, they will seize the underground 'singularity,' and we will lose our only chance to turn the tide."
"No."
Wang Yan shook his head.
"This is not a dead end."
He turned around and looked toward the back of the beginner village.
"This is a high-stakes gamble."
His lips curled up, and his smile was one of pure madness and burning passion.
"God, demon, and man, all three have gathered."
"An inquisitor, a genius, a reincarnated individual, and an abyss walker who harbors countless secrets..."
"Don't you think this is the perfect stage?"
He turned around, and in the depths of his dark eyes, it seemed as if an abyss was burning.
"One stage, enough for us to turn the world upside down."
"What I need you to do is not to help me guard this place."
"I want you to calculate the three most critical points of the energy impact when the Judge descends."
"I'm going to use its power to...forcefully ripen what's underground!"
Su Zihan was completely stunned.
madman.
This man is a complete madman!
He wanted to use the power of God to break the taboo that even God coveted!
"And I," Wang Yan's voice was low, carrying a chilling, demonic quality, "will be the ultimate reaper."