When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 631: Chapter 40 I Will Definitely Survive Chapter 631: Chapter 40 I Will Definitely Survive Bishop Mathers’s proposal was quickly rejected by Aiwass.

Detaining Master Nobel would yield them no benefits—alchemy elixirs were mere potions in others’ hands, yet in the hands of an alchemist, they could invoke unique effects.

At present, they were in need of manpower.

Neither Aiwass nor Isabel rejected the Path of Balance, so they were open to accepting assistance from strangers.

After soothing Bishop Mathers, Aiwass demanded the fragments of the Red-Handled Sword from him.

With the familiar weapon back in hand, Aiwass felt much more at ease.

Then, Aiwass found Isabel once again and shared with her the arrangements for what would come next.

“It’s time to prepare to leave,” Aiwass said seriously, “take Shafiya with you, and my father—Oswald must ultimately be protected, and he can also protect you along the way.

I’m giving you Diomedes too, take all of them…

“Originally, there was bound to be danger on the way to the Holy Nation, considering it was calculated based on the premise that Lady Shafiya had died, and we were to head to the Holy Nation alone.

Now that we’ve rescued Shafiya and she’s there to protect you, there probably won’t be too many problems.

I plan to have Bishop Mathers and Master Nobel accompany you as well…

Sherlock and I will stay here.

I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“…And you?”

Isabel, looking at Aiwass, simply responded with a question, “Do you really have to conduct the Ceremony of Avalon’s Shadow?”

Their mutual understanding deepening, Isabel had already guessed what Aiwass intended to do.

When Aiwass suddenly brought up the Ceremony of Avalon’s Shadow, Isabel felt something was amiss.

“Didn’t you say that ceremony is problematic?”

Isabel wanted to stop Aiwass: “If you want to ensure your promotion, don’t we just need to expose the fake Sherlock?

“I think your father may have guessed that this is a promotion ceremony.

Through hints, maybe we can get him to help us deal with that ‘Counselor’, who seems quite troublesome.”

“The Counselor needs to be killed,” Aiwass replied.

“If he simply dies from being exposed, his soul will be damaged but he might not necessarily die.

So, I plan to kill him more thoroughly.

“That way, his soul will either be significantly damaged or he will die directly.

Either way, he won’t retain enough memories…

Although our impersonation hasn’t shown any flaws for now, as soon as he realizes that Aiwass is the ‘Fox’ or Isabel is ‘Lulu’, all the information we’ve fed him will unravel.”

“…Are you talking about that thing at the end of the promotion ceremony…?”

Isabel caught on.

In the “exciting clip” montage, it was very likely that Isabel and Aiwass would be included.

“But what if he tells those details to his two students?”

Isabel raised a new concern.

“He won’t,” Aiwass said with certainty, “they can’t remember so much.

Because I haven’t directly revealed any secrets, the things we’ve said will only be meaningful when combined with actual intelligence analysis.

If he relays the wording directly to his students, they’ll change the meaning entirely by omitting just a sentence or two.

Besides, they lack the clearance to access Avalon’s secrets, let alone the life experience and wisdom needed to analyze on their own.

“That’s why he will surely pass on the synthesized intelligence to them.

And even if he mentioned us, as long as we silence him, there will be no proof.”

“…After all, we have four days, right?”

Isabel also understood: “If they don’t want to be exposed, they can’t write these things down.

So, ultimately, the information they can note down won’t be much, definitely just summarized versions.”

“Exactly.”

Aiwass nodded: “However, I do not intend to drag the ceremony out until the fourth day…

I plan to end the promotion ceremony on the second day.”

“You’ve taken Dream Intoxicant, haven’t you?

The dream should last four days?”

Isabel was somewhat worried: “Is your dream unstable?

Should I rush to the Holy Nation?”

“I did take it, and I’m fine.

It’s something else I’m considering…”

Aiwass sighed helplessly: “If it were any other Pillar God, I wouldn’t mind…

but this is a stage crafted by the Lord of Scalefeather himself.”

As a Priest, his essential knowledge was theology.

He certainly understood the personality differences and personal preferences of these Pillar Gods.

The Lord of Scalefeather delighted in seeing mortals overcome trials and survive against the odds.

Little girls charred in fires who still strive to live; warriors shot multiple times and left with disabilities during wars, yet still determined to survive; hunters who endeavor to lead those around them to survive the frost and hunger brought on by blizzards or droughts…

Such individuals might be blessed by the Lord of Scalefeather and become His envoys.

He was the God who faced dangers, savored suffering, and sang praises of hope.

“Adaptation” is not about fleeing, but about overcoming.

As in the principle of “biomimicry,” it is the victory for the underdog.

This could be seen from the nature of his envoy, Akpolis—the so-called “combat medic” savior, who would equally save anyone who wished to be saved.

Often taking the form of a dove above battlefields, rescuing soldiers with a strong will to live; occasionally transforming into a sparrow to kiss patients with terminal illness, granting miracles of life to those who strive against incurable diseases.

Given the Lord of Scalefeather’s character, the ceremony would either become more and more intense or it would bring about dangers that could only be resolved with courage.

And no place was absolutely safe.

Aiwass saved so many people precisely to ensure Isabel could safely reach the Holy Nation.

And Aiwass planned to remain on Glass Island, until the end.

“If we drag it out to the last day, it will become very dangerous for me here.

That’s why I hope you’ll reach the Holy Nation before dawn on the third day.

But you shouldn’t hurry too much either, because I still need to find Olive.@@novelbin@@

Or rather, I’ll wait for Olive to find me.”

Aiwass looked earnestly at Isabel: “Although we undergo the promotion ceremony to receive the blessings of the Pillar God and enhance our ‘level’, the essence of the promotion ceremony is still ‘simulation’.”

“Since it is a simulation, it naturally tests those things that can’t be tested in the real world.

Take ‘Shadow of Avalon’ for example.

I can’t use the Queen’s Blood to perform the ceremony myself, so I need the help of other ritualists.

I don’t know what will happen after the completion of the Shadow of Avalon… so I plan to complete the ceremony at dusk tomorrow, and you will enter the Holy Nation after nightfall.”

Aiwass gave instructions to Isabel: “We act separately.

We can’t contact each other in the meantime, we can only rely on our tacit understanding.

That’s why I can’t have someone else stay here in my place… I can only be at peace if I stay here myself; only if you control the timing of your entry into the Holy Nation can I also be at ease.”

“…So it really is Teacher Ibn,” Isabel finally confirmed.

If Olive was someone else, Aiwass would never trust him like this.

He would never reveal the secrets of the Shadow of Avalon to the other party.

“Yes,” Aiwass nodded slowly, “The only problem is that this plan involves leaving Teacher Ibn in a dangerous place.

But I will also try my best to protect him…”

“— You need to take care of yourself, Aiwass.”

Isabel interrupted Aiwass, speaking with utmost seriousness.

Knowing that Aiwass had his own people with him, Isabel felt somewhat relieved.

She made a joke in a soft voice: “Don’t forget…

we have a date tomorrow night.

You have to survive, Aiwass.”

“There’s no such thing as absolute safety in the promotion ceremony…

but I will definitely survive.”

Aiwass smiled and said: “After all, I’m not entirely alone here, at least Liya is with me.”

“— Who is Liya?” Isabel became somewhat wary.

“Defiant Flame Butterfly.

It’s a name I just gave her, do you like it?”

“It’s okay, I guess.”

Isabel tactfully moved past the topic.

She then asked, “Do you know how to perform the Ceremony of Avalon’s Shadow?

Do you want me to tell you?”

Despite some unease, she chose to trust Aiwass.

Silver-Crowned Dragon, Gemini Mirror…

I hope you watch over Aiwass.

May he be safe and sound.

“Then that will require… Lulu’s careful teaching.”

Aiwass grabbed Isabel’s wrist, leaned in close to her ear, and chuckled softly.

But in reality, Aiwass wasn’t as composed as he appeared.

A replica made by the Lord of Scalefeather himself…

definitely won’t be that simple.

He wasn’t worried about his side.

He knew he could survive no matter what, he could even give up the Ceremony of Avalon’s Shadow if necessary.

It was just an experiment, and also a chance to score points.

But when compared to his own and his friends’ safety, he knew what to choose.

Everything seems smooth so far, but that’s all because of Aiwass’s informational advantage, allowing him to choose the best possible option in every incident.

But as for Isabel…

Aiwass could only do his utmost, stuffing all the teammates he found and saved in her direction.

“I pray to the Lord of Scalefeather, the God of the Holy Number Six.

The God adorned in scales and feathers, the God of a thousand garments and myriad forms…”

In his heart, Aiwass silently prayed: “I hope Isabel can be safe and sound.”

And at that moment.

In a region of the Dream Realm, nine transparent souls sat on marble chairs, heads bowed as they entered a dream within a dream.

Akpolis stood in the center among them, idly teasing the small snake on his staff, occasionally glancing at their progress.

He suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“— Please stop, Miss Erinyes.”

Akpolis said languidly.

Not far off, a red-haired girl in light armor, blood-soaked and silent, materialized.

With a hurricane transformed into an invisible hammer in hand, she stepped forward, leaving bloody footprints as she approached Aiwass’s spirit.

As she appeared, a blood-scented storm whipped up around her.

“Stop.”

Akpolis warned again.

Raising his snake staff, he stared coldly at the Angel Envoy of the Bear Celestial Marshal, the “Breaker of Sieges” Erinyes.

“I don’t want to say it a third time.”