GAMMT - Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Explosion
For a moment, the scene grew awkward in its silence, and the awkwardness led to a stalemate.
The students from Dongke Province were indeed a bit restless. Many felt that while Dongke currently held the upper hand against Beluke, the future was uncertain.
Give these three dark horses from Beluke a few more years… Dongke Hetu and Dongke Jin were taking their college entrance exams next year. Once they were gone, who in Dongke Province could suppress these three?
Especially Xie Keli.
Jian Qin narrowed his eyes and sneered coolly, "This is the first time I've seen a group of people gain confidence and arrogance from being collectively surpassed. You people from Beluke are truly different from the elite students of other provinces."
While Chen Gou preferred vulgar tactics, Jian Qin favored passive-aggressive sarcasm, which was often harder to counter.
Carol Diel and Nangong Hupo, both hot-tempered, were about to fire back.
"His points have stopped moving. Is he done with the exam?"
"That doesn't make sense. There are still three towers left, and plenty of time. The deadline is midnight, a full eight hours away."
"Maybe it's because he's already number one? This isn't the fourth phase, so the annual ranking doesn't matter…"
"That's not how it works. If we're talking about the annual ranking, he missed the second phase. His total for three phases would still be less than ours."
"That's true. So it's strange that he's not continuing. Maybe something came up?"
They couldn't figure it out. The Dongke students were also surprised, not that Xie Keli seemed to have stopped, but that the Beluke students, in their conversations, mostly seemed to think this scum Xie was plotting something sinister.
Scum, degenerate, a sly old dog.
It seemed this Xie Keli didn't have a very good reputation in Beluke Province.
In that case, was there a possibility of luring him over to Dongke Province?
Dongke Hetu looked into it, frowning slightly as he sent a message to Dongke Jin: "His position in the Xie Clan isn't high, and Xie Siyi doesn't seem to favor or rely on him much. According to our spies, the two have had little contact. Plus, he has no relatives in Beluke. Logically, he could be won over with benefits, but there's one problem: he has a fiancée, who is also pregnant."
"His wife is Fu Ye of the Fu Clan."
Dongke Jin was slightly surprised to hear this. She had heard of the name—her beauty was renowned even in Dongke—but she hadn't expected her to be engaged to Xie Keli, let alone already having a child.
Although maternity benefits were generous these days and early marriage wasn't uncommon, truly talented Arcanists rarely chose to marry young, as it would divide their focus.
"By the way, our Dongke's Jiang family has a long-standing relationship with the Fu Clan. They're meeting at the Golden Ling Mansion today. It's possible Fu Ye is there too."
Dongke Jin raised an eyebrow and forwarded the message to Dongke Hetu.
The Golden Ling Mansion had several private reception rooms. The most luxurious ones were booked by the two provincial academies, while the Fu Clan and their out-of-province friends were in another. The younger sisters could be absent, but as an important member of the family, Fu Ye had to be present. This was especially true since Fu Qiang had to miss the event due to matters with the Provincial Business Association, leaving her with no way to excuse herself.
After some socializing, both families were considerate and allowed her to leave early due to her pregnancy.
Outside, Fu Ye walked toward the teleportation array. The streets were bustling and prosperous, so there was no apparent danger. However, she noticed a shopping mall nearby. The voices of her younger sisters flashed through her mind, and after a moment's hesitation, she walked inside.
She appeared to be strolling aimlessly, but her objective seemed clear. She barely glanced at the other shops, walking directly to a rather stylish menswear store.
The Fu Clan was known for its beauties, and their family business spanned many industries, with a particularly strong presence in fashion. But this store… was not owned by the Fu Clan.
The moment Fu Ye entered, she wanted to leave.
She had run into someone she vaguely knew.
Wei Mingtang.
The latter also seemed a bit surprised. True to her personality, she merely glanced at Fu Ye, gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, and went back to selecting clothes on her own.
Fu Ye rubbed her fingers together, feeling it would be strange to turn and leave now. So, she walked further into the store, casually browsing…
She overheard another customer nearby stating her requirements to a sales associate.
"I want simple, classic styles, a bit sporty, but with good texture. The colors should be solid, not too busy. No ties, he doesn't suit ties."
The associate immediately led the young woman toward Fu Ye's section. The girl froze for a second when she saw Fu Ye, whose hands held a rather nice piece of clothing.
"Hello."
Fu Ye looked at her and thought for a moment. "Jingyang Academy, Lin Hangjing."
Lin Hangjing was a little surprised. "That's me. I'm here to buy clothes for my brother. His taste is a bit lacking."
She thought for a moment and added, "Xie Keli seems to have very good taste. If he were here, he'd probably pick the same clothes as you."
People from Jingyang were more aware of the strangeness of this marriage than outsiders, but seeing this now, it seemed quite real.
At the very least, for a woman with such a cold disposition to be willing to pick out clothes for her fiancé seemed like a form of acceptance.
The people of Jingyang currently had a very favorable impression of a certain scum. The reason was simple: he was from Jingyang, and his fearsome reputation abroad offered a degree of protection to anyone else from there.
At least, on several occasions when Pang Ci was being bullied by certain people and couldn't win the fight, just mentioning Xie Keli's name was enough to turn the situation around.
The arcane world was a very pragmatic one.
Therefore, even if it was just the unintentional protection his reputation provided, Lin Hangjing was grateful and would be polite and friendly.
Fu Ye paused. "Perhaps… but I'm also buying clothes for my brother. Keli… has better taste. He probably doesn't need me to buy them for him."
Is that so? Fu Qiang didn't seem like the type to wear this style of clothing.
Lin Hangjing didn't press the issue and went to browse elsewhere. She wasn't as meticulous as Fu Ye; buying clothes for her brother was like a wholesale transaction—whatever the sales associate recommended, she took.
It might have been related to her upbringing. Those who came from the bottom either became particularly obsessed with this aspect to compensate for a lack of dignity, or they preferred simplicity and comfort due to a long-standing void in fashion and grooming.
Fu Ye selected a few outfits, including some for Fu Qiang. After paying, she touched her stomach, frowned, and headed toward the restroom.
Lin Hangjing happened to be checking out at the same time. She watched Fu Ye enter the store's restroom, then turned back to enter her pin. A faint, cool fragrance wafted by. Lin Hangjing turned to see Fu Ye leaving after simply registering her identity, without making a payment.
Students of the Four Great Academies didn't need to pay.
Lin Hangjing left as well and soon went to another shop. After sitting down, she told Pang Ci, who was sipping milk tea, what had just happened.
"No way, what a coincidence! You saw two of the top three goddesses of the Four Great Academies, and I didn't see a thing?"
Lin Chengxiu glanced at him. "It's either because you're not a beautiful goddess like my sister, or because of your height, you just can't see them."
He praised his sister and belittled his brother in one go.
Excellent, one stone, two birds.
Lin Hangjing couldn't be bothered to argue with them. She took a sip of her milk tea and picked up her communicator to send a message.
She felt something was wrong and feared trouble might be brewing.
After finishing her exam, Fu Chuan was about to enter the Alchemy Tower.
She had already secured first place in this phase, but she needed to lay the groundwork for the fourth round of assessment, earning as many points as possible to close the gap in the four-phase comprehensive score. Just as she was walking toward the Alchemy Tower, she saw the message from Lin Hangjing.
[Fu Ye is at XXX Mall. She was buying clothes in a store just now, but she's alone. I've heard that mermaids are extremely vulnerable during pregnancy, and their strength is greatly diminished. I personally feel this is not right. Just notifying you.]
Alone?
Didn't the Fu Clan send anyone to protect her? Was the meeting with their family friends over?
Mindful of the embroidery she had seen before, Fu Chuan's thoughts grew sharp. Instead of contacting Fu Ye, she dialed Fu Qiang's number.
Fu Qiang answered quickly, his voice warm and friendly. "Ah Li, what's up? Just say the word, and your big brother will get it done. You're in an exam today, right? Don't let me waste your time."
It was said that many mothers- and fathers-in-law were exceptionally kind to their sons-in-law, believing that if they treated him well, he would in turn treat their daughter well.
Otherwise, why would anyone be so nice to a stranger for no reason?
He really was a good brother.
Fu Chuan thought of her own cousins who used to carry her on their backs and play with her since childhood. A complex feeling stirred in her heart as she asked about the meeting with the family friends.
"She's alone? Impossible. The family would definitely arrange protection for her, unless she refused it herself and left alone… You said she went to a menswear store?"
Fu Qiang seemed to have thought of something, but Fu Chuan didn't dwell on it and quickly asked about the Jiang family's situation.
"The Jiang family is here to discuss a partnership with us, and it's true we haven't been in contact for many years. You suspect there's a problem?" Fu Qiang also became alert. "Speaking of which, I only just found out that today is the meeting day for the eight academies from both provinces. The Jiang family is from Dongke. Even if they wouldn't necessarily keep their distance from the Fu Clan because of this, they wouldn't have chosen such an awkward time."
Fu Chuan said, "It's right next to the Golden Ling Mansion. Maybe I'm just being paranoid… Could you ask who from your side attended and see if any noble families with industries that could be significantly impacted by the Jiang family were present? If so, the Jiang family wouldn't have chosen today, and they certainly wouldn't have chosen the Golden Ling Mansion."
"I'll check who attended… You should get back to your exam. Don't waste time."
"I know."
Fu Chuan said this as she walked into the Alchemy Tower. Just as she was about to pay the exam fee, Fu Qiang's voice came through the communicator.
"No one. Although the Dongke Clan, the Jian family, and three other families have some business dealings with the Jiang family, none are as significant as ours."
"So they aren't trying to expand their industries in Dongke Province, but rather develop the market in Beluke? Are their industries better suited for Beluke's volume?"
"It doesn't seem so."
Then… both of them fell silent.
"Fuck!"
Fu Qiang suddenly cursed, stood up, and rushed out of the conference room's break area. He held the communicator, his mouth open. He had wanted to ask Xie Keli for help—after all, his insight was sharper than some of the sixty- and seventy-year-olds in his family—but Fu Ye's voice echoed in his mind.
"Don't trouble him with every little thing."
"We agreed on this before our cooperation."
He took a breath and said in a low voice, "I'll send people over. You focus on your exam."
Fu Chuan said nothing and hung up. Before her, the registration desk for the Alchemy Tower had already granted her access.
"You may enter."
Fu Chuan grunted in acknowledgment and walked toward the trial entrance, casually dialing Fu Ye's communicator number as she went.
However…
There was no response.
Fu Chuan stopped in her tracks, thinking of the rewards for the fourth phase annual assessment.
The rewards were said to be better than the first three phases combined.
So what?
In the restroom, Fu Ye emerged from a stall, her face pale. She leaned over slightly to wash her hands in front of the mirror. Suddenly, she looked up and saw… another person in the mirror.
But the stall behind her was a single-person stall. She had just come out of it, and it was empty.
Where did this person come from?
Fu Ye's pupils twitched. She quickly mobilized her elements and leaned back. The water flowing from the faucet rose with her movement, forming a protective shield. But!
The woman in the mirror gave a strange smile and, like a phantom, reached out from within. Her palm melted, transforming into octopus-like tentacles that shot out from the mirror and pierced through the water barrier.
A level 70 illusionist?!
Fu Ye frowned, already dodging backward, about to escape. But from behind… two sharp forks plunged violently into her shoulders.
Pierced through.
Immobilizing runes flowed from the forks, locking her shoulders and quickly spreading throughout her body, pinning her to the ground.
An invisible person chanted a spell, fixing Fu Ye in place.
At the same time, the tentacles from the mirror had already broken through the water defense. Like scythes, they stabbed directly into Fu Ye's abdomen.
It wasn't brutal, but it was cruel.
Fu Ye could almost hear the sound of a blade slicing through skin and flesh, penetrating inward to retrieve the… baby.
It was already… nine months old.
At the Golden Ling Mansion.
Since the geniuses from the two provincial academies couldn't come to blows, continuing to bicker would be a loss of face for everyone. Unwilling to lose their composure, the group of young people eventually dispersed to play games, entertain themselves, or shop nearby.
The real confrontation was happening at the dean level anyway.
On a balcony of the Golden Ling Mansion, Xie Fuyun, Flosius, and others were discussing a dungeon. It seemed to be a significant plan, as not only had Yun Zhuzhu and Li Chen been invited, but they had also called over Modorola and Jiang Yousi.
Just as they reached a critical point in their discussion, Que Baicen approached Flosius and whispered, "Are you just going to ignore the matter of Xie Keli? Just let him climb up like this?"
Li Chen's brow twitched, and he was about to say something.
Xie Fuyun smiled. "Well then, how do you propose to bring him down, my friend?"
He was so gentle, just like his name, Idle Cloud.
Que Baicen thought of the internal struggles within the Xie Clan. "It seems the Xie Clan's young master election is in a few days. With support from someone like Xie Keli, Xie Siyi's branch family will likely gain a lot more voting power. More than five votes, I'd say."
After all, the current Xie Keli was already number one in the third phase rankings.
Orange blood families were always pragmatic. As long as one was powerful enough, they would receive commensurate power, regardless of whether they were from a branch or main lineage.
"Xie Fuyun, never mind Xie Fuxiao's position being threatened, your own is probably no longer secure. And Li Chen, your Li Family is number one… are you really willing to see him rise? Xie Siyi is cultivating Xie Keli on one hand, and on the other, she's pulling in your third uncle's faction and nurturing Shen Qixi. She probably has designs on your Li Family's power. So…"
Li Chen's eyelids twitched slightly, but he remained silent.
Flosius smiled without a word. Jiang Yousi couldn't care less about this matter. Since arriving here, he had been busy cultivating and absorbing information about this world. He had initially treated the game as just a game; with a corporation to manage, he didn't have much time and wasn't a professional. If it weren't for… that one dungeon experience, he might have always treated it as a pastime or an investment opportunity.
After coming here, the sheer volume of arcane information was enough to keep him occupied. How could he bother with anything else?
Especially things like Xie Keli or the secrets of great noble families—he knew very little about them.
He found it boring and turned to leave.
Xie Fuyun said, "So I ask you, how do you plan to deal with him? Assassinate him? Why don't we form a team?"
Que Baicen's expression stiffened slightly. They were great nobles. Did they need to do it themselves?
No, a team of level 70s could accomplish the goal. But to avoid an investigation by the academies, they would need the four great families to act together… and people like Flosius, as beneficiaries, could also help.
It was a plan with no downside.
That was his calculation.
It seemed Li Chen and Xie Fuyun were swayed by his words.
But then, quite suddenly, Xie Fuyun's gentle smile vanished, replaced by a torrent of cold water that he poured all over the idea. "I suggest you quiet down. The people from Dongke are at our doorstep, and you're still thinking about a civil war. Fine, let's say we fight. Have you considered that it took him just a few months to reach the 10th layer of the Arcane? What if in another three months he shoots up like a firecracker again? He wouldn't even need a knife to kill you and me. If you want to assassinate him anytime soon, you first need to find someone whose insight surpasses his."
"His improvement has been massive, which means he must have had a major genetic breakthrough. Correspondingly, his pupil techniques would have improved as well. My Xie Clan knows this best."
"Let me ask you, can your family or the Li Family find someone around level 70 who is better than him in pupil techniques? If we're talking about someone over level 80, do you or I have the authority to deploy them? If we report it to the family elders and it gets exposed, and the academies and the Education Ministry investigate, it's impossible to use a scapegoat under that risk of exposure. Is it worth trading such powerful experts for one Xie Keli?"
"Are you going to say my family can provide the manpower? Then let me ask you again, if the Xie Clan mobilizes an expert above level 70, would Xie Siyi not know? Killing him would be like handing Xie Siyi a knife myself. My entire lineage would have to pay the price, and the lowest price might just be my life."
"Tell me, Que Baicen, isn't this a plan to kill two birds with one stone?"
Que Baicen did indeed have such intentions. Now that he was exposed, his heart tightened slightly, but he managed a smile. "I had no such thought. So, you're saying you're not going to do anything?"
Xie Fuyun waved his hand. "Oh, I'll do something. If he's petty, the first person he'll get rid of when he rises to power is you. That means I'll benefit too. I'll get to eat at the banquet. As long as I kneel fast enough, he won't touch me. After all, he's going to be a father. He has to set a good example for his child, right? I've even prepared a cash gift for the baby."
Flosius: "When did you prepare that?"
Xie Fuyun: "The moment he screwed you over and became number one."
Flosius: "…"
Yun Zhuzhu thought back and actually recalled that at that moment, this guy had maintained his elegant and gentle posture while lowering his head to use his communicator… She had assumed he was contacting his family to deal with the situation.
She never expected the bastard was ordering a gift for the baby.
The Xie Clan's genes were truly strong. Every one of them had a brain, and their average looks and physique were of a high standard. It seemed only her own family… had a tradition of producing simple-minded shorties. Damn it, it was depressing just thinking about it.
He really was a professional uncle who knew how to assess a situation. He was probably moved by his own foresight.
Even though Xie Keli didn't know about this surprise yet.
Everyone present: "…"
The Xie Clan had a generational tendency to produce deviants. Sure enough, each one of them had a peculiar way of thinking.
Seeing his plan fail, Que Baicen's face turned ugly. He wondered if he should also go prepare a cash gift for the child.
Just then, everyone's expression changed slightly as a flash of light shot out from the balcony below the Golden Ling Mansion.
"It's the Fu Clan. They were having a meal downstairs today."
"Did something happen?"
Everyone present was highly intelligent and quickly realized that if something had happened, it could only be one person—Fu Ye!
Sure enough, Fu Qiang and his personal guards flew out from the plaza's teleportation array below.
Fu Qiang shouted, "The signal is being blocked! Everyone, to that menswear store…"
Thankfully, Xie Keli had given him the information about the store. His first instinct was to look for her there.
Just as they were about to move, an ocean-like ripple of water energy erupted from within the mall's restroom, sweeping across the entire plaza.
Fu Qiang and the Fu Clan members froze. All the Fu Clan women present felt a sharp pain…
"The child… Ah Ye's child… something's happened to it."
Several of the elder women, with their experience, sensed it immediately. In horror, they shouted for the family's experts to hurry over.
Fu Qiang's face turned ashen, and he charged forward like a madman.
But it was too late.
That oceanic ripple could only have come from the process of the child being torn from its mother's body.
And that process would inevitably be swift.
Because this was the world of Arcanists!
The Fu Clan members charged madly toward the shopping mall.
Back at the Golden Ling Mansion, a group of dean-level experts frowned. The ones from Dongke Province naturally wouldn't intervene, but Sang Jiu stood up, about to head out.
Boom! The oceanic ripple from the restroom was cut off by an immense soul power.
A giant, swirling undead skeleton draped itself over the elemental waves of the oceanic ripple, extending a terrifying bone claw that descended from above, shielding the blood-soaked person in the restroom.
The spiritual threads of the octopus tentacles were severed by the soul technique.
The illusionist in the mirror and the other controller's expressions changed. They both looked toward the restroom entrance, where Wei Mingtang had appeared.
Her expression was cold, but two shadows also appeared behind her. These were hidden experts, secret soldiers meant to ensure the mission's completion. But they had failed to detect the necromancer Wei Mingtang crossing their security line and interrupting everything.
"Kill her!"
"It's too late, retreat! Those deans are next door. If we don't leave, we'll die!"
The five of them had no intention of fighting. They made a swift retreat, fleeing in different directions.
Wei Mingtang couldn't give chase, because Fu Ye was already on the verge of death.
The bloody wound on her abdomen made even Wei Mingtang's eyes flicker. Her face turned pale, as if she felt sick, but she still hurried over…
But she was a necromancer. Saving people was not her specialty.
What should she do?
Hum!
The Dean appeared.
"Teacher."
"Go out and kill them," Sang Jiu said coldly.
"Yes."
As soon as Wei Mingtang stepped out, she saw the five people who had rushed out of the menswear store fleeing using different methods and directions—shadow escape, teleportation, and blending into the crowd.
Unless the deans intervened, not even the Fu Clan could track them, because all five were level 70 experts skilled in these arts.
Wei Mingtang swiped a finger across her brow.
The third sequence manifestation in the sky, a giant undead skull, also split open at its brow.
Orange-tier Arcane Truth: Undead True Eye!
Hum… The Undead True Eye swept across the area. Just as she located two of them, she was suddenly startled.
A light appeared at the teleportation portal.
That light was terrifying.
Dense, sky-covering rays of light climbed forth. Half of them surged into the menswear store, enveloping Fu Ye. The majestic light surrounded her like the most generous autumn sun, a divine support descending from the heavens. It also gathered all the light elements in the area and directed them toward the Dean.
The Dean: "…"
She was a water-type.
Fine, she could also control the light element.
How little did this kid trust her? But… this was a bit frightening.
What kind of dog-shit luck did that psycho have?
Half the power went to divine healing, the other half to slaughter!
Four great fields had already been fully activated, surrounding the Golden Ling Mansion and the shopping mall. Looking up, one could see a bird's nest of light, three thousand meters in diameter.
A lockdown.
The walls of the bird's nest were entirely covered in mirrors.
From their balconies, the geniuses of the eight academies watched this massive construct manifest instantly from the teleportation array. The person who had unleashed it all had already appeared in the sky above the plaza like a flash of light.
Her dual pupils opened, each a different color, exuding a terrifying aura. Every ray of light, every ripple of spatial energy, and every surge of wind around her seemed to herald the descent of a three-element hell.
With a single glance, all her pets merged into one, her attributes skyrocketing. Then, she raised her hand.
A pupil opened in her palm.
Probability God Slash.
"What—!" A level 70 assassin hiding in the crowd felt a buzzing pain in his head as his Mental Power was severed.
In the midst of the pain, the Demon Orchid Pupil descended.
Dizziness, immobilization.
"Not good!"
Hiss! He was a Green Blood, and he frantically burned his blood in an attempt to break free from the control of the dual pupils. Yet, the very second he broke free…
Hum…
Terrifying tentacles erupted from the ground, piercing through his armor from the soles of his feet and entering his body.
Under the frenzied absorption… a level 70 assassin was drained of his flesh and blood in front of thousands of people in the plaza, his body shriveling… He tried to save himself, frantically attacking the tentacles connected to his feet, but his strongest attack couldn't even scratch the golden-scaled, dragon-patterned surface of the tentacles.
A scream.
Bang!
His body exploded into a bloody mist.
But all his energy, along with his arcane core, had been sucked dry.
On the balcony, Carol Diel, who had been sipping milk tea, was stunned. Her body trembled, and she crushed the cup in her hand out of shock, splashing milk tea all over herself.
Comments
Post a Comment