abcnovels
Chapter Ch69.2 - Right of Command
Chapter Ch69.2 - Right of Command
Chapter Ch69.2 - Right of Command
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
Wu Jin looked at the drawing he’d obtained from Thin Fire. All the previous scattered guesses were sorted through one by one, and he nodded slightly as he turned his thoughts around in his mind: “With the heroic as sacrifices, taking their fates as a game––the card will eventually be revealed.”
“Taking their fates as a game. From the card spread, only the last card is related to this clue––‘10 is your revealed destiny’. That is to say that the sacrificial fight will take place in instance number 10.”
“The card will eventually be revealed. The card refers to the cards in the entire spread. If I’ve guessed correctly, the content of the 10th instance is unknown and variable. Once the cards in 1-9 change, the scene in the 10th instance will also change. The final match isn’t based on a single card, but rather a combination of 10 cards.”
Zoe froze, “10 cards... the instance will be very difficult.”
Wu Jin: “The difficulty will be high, and the pace of the battle will pick up. The goal of the final battle isn’t to determine the winner, but to dedicate all the players whose ‘fate is determined by the divination’ to the god. Their destiny is determined by their past, turning points, future, sincerity, bonds, and fears, corresponding to the entire card spread––”
Wu Jin slowly opened his eyes, “The entire cross-shaped card spread’s purpose is to foretell the final battle and acts as the sacrificial player’s fate.”
Zoe soon understood.
He and Wen Lin discussed amongst themselves, “We’ll head to instance number 10. How many people are left?”
Caesar quickly raised his hand, “38, 38 people!”
Zoe: “Wen Lin and I are going to head over. Little Witch, you guys go ahead and look for 10. The entrance for each instance is limited, so be sure to seize the entrance before the sacrifice begins.”
Wu Jin nodded.
The two of them quickly found the doors connecting to instance number 6. Other than the paths that led backwards, instance number 6 could lead to 7, 8, and 9, but they were unable to find any entrances that led to the instance that represented their ultimate fate, 10.
The most likely possibility––6 connected to 7, 8, and 9, and they had to pass through one of them in order to reach 10.
“Choose one of the three.” Wu Jin summed it up.
There was the sound of gunfire in the distance along the corridor, and it also sounded like the dull thumping sound of a wooden door.
Caesar suddenly spoke up, “Well, we haven’t met Wei Yan and Dolma’s Old Qin and the others yet. Do you think they’re in 7, 8, and 9?”
Wu Jin, Zoe, and Wen Lin: “......”
Compared with the illusory sacrifice, the other big entertainment giants with the same level of strength as White Moonlight were more difficult to deal with.
Wu Jin thought about it, “They should be inside. 38 people, there shouldn’t be many loose trainees left. The rest are basically all powerhouses and should have collected wands cards as well as major arcana that allow them to control the scene. If there’s nothing unexpected, they should all be preparing to head towards instance number 10.”
Caesar immediately retorted, “Then what about that coquettish man who ran in the opposite direction?”
Zoe’s tone was apathetic, “...That guy played with you for two weeks, and you’re becoming sillier day by day. What do you think?”
Wen Lin laughed, “Don’t be nervous. We’re not that far away and can give support at any time. We just need to keep all our members alive. We’re preparing to enter the 6th instance; Little Witch, you guys should pick one, too.”
Wu Jin nodded, “The three instances should all be at epic levels of difficulty––”
Zoe said decisively, “Little Witch, don’t overthink it. Let Caesar pick.”
“......” Wu Jin puffed out his cheeks. His face was full of dissatisfied unwillingness.
Zoe comforted him, “This is the only thing Caesar is useful for. Oh, he can also be used for the sacrifice at the last moment. Since we have to make a sacrifice anyway, let’s just burn a full 300 pound one for the god. Hermes might go ‘Oh no!’ when he sees it and let the three of us out in a moment of joy...”
Caesar didn’t hesitate to switch to retort mode, but was muted by Zoe, “Shut up. You dropped from A to B. Who else should I pick on if not you?”
In the corridor, Caesar was aggressive as he picked instance number 7, “Little Witch, let’s go. Us brothers won’t be afraid even if it’s Wei Yan in the instance! We’ll go in and fight!”
Wu Jin nodded and held his gun cautiously. The two of them each found an entrance and entered the instance at the same time.
The towering temple was shrouded in holy light, and a virtual projection of The Hierophant’s scepter was situated at the other end of the instance. The fifth card of the major arcana, The Hierophant card.
Wu Jin’s eyes suddenly opened wide. Other than him and Caesar, there were only three other trainees in the instance, and the highest level amongst them was only B––
Caesar burst out laughing.
Wu Jin faintly felt that The Hierophant’s throne should follow suit and also give Caesar a ‘European Emperor’ card.
However, both of them soon looked up. Not only the corridors, but even the inside of the instance was now as hot as magma. The sacrifice was about to begin.
Wu Jin immediately spoke up, “Caesar, let’s hurry up.”
But a situation that worried both of them happened unexpectedly––any trainee that could remain until now wouldn’t be an easy target. Even before they could clear ‘The Hierophant card’ instance, Zoe and Wen Lin had already walked out of instance number 6.
“There’s no time.” Zoe’s voice was heavy, “Instance 6 is starting to burn. The corridor is on fire, too.”
Wu Jin stilled, “Brother Zoe, is the fire pit lit? Is the sacrificial offering... sacrifice about to begin?”
Zoe replied, “Yes, it should be that there are enough eliminated players. After the fire pit was lit, the sacrificial fires spread through the cross array. The way back has already been cut off. You’re in 7, so Wen Lin and I can only go to 8 or 9.”
Caesar had drawn a lucky instance, meaning that the remaining instances 8 and 9 wouldn’t be an epic level of difficulty––it would be hell mode.
Wu Jin’s heart was beating fast, “Be careful!”
Zoe nodded and said nothing more. He chose the entrance to instance number 9, “Quickly. The fire seems to be continuing to spread. When the fire burns all the way to the end, only instance number 10 will be a safe zone. We’ll see you when we get out––damn it!”
The team channel suddenly turned quiet. A long time later, Zoe spoke up, “It’s Wei Yan.”
In the Crosson Show director’s studio, the atmosphere was once again heated up.
Ying Xiangxiang asked quickly, “This Death card––how long has Wei Yan been holding onto it for?”
Blood Pigeon sighed emotionally, “Four rounds.”
Ying Xiangxiang nodded. “Four rounds. 30 contestants have gone in, but none of them have come out alive.” She paused slightly, “A real, genuine human-shaped weapon. Instructor Blood Pigeon, do you think that there’s any way for White Moonlight to launch a counter-attack from an away court?”
Blood Pigeon shook his head, “There’d be no problem for Wei Yan to play in the Star League if he made his debut now. This isn’t only a power gap. This card is Wei Yan’s home court and also his destiny card––‘Death wore armor while riding on his horse, people had already fallen beneath him, and others were still resisting, but resistance itself was pointless’.”
“I believe that everyone understands the gap between A and S grades. And Wei Yan is the most outstanding S I’ve ever seen.”
Ying Xiangxiang sighed, “Director, please give us a shot of White Moonlight.”
In the camera, the Death God’s scythe cut through the night sky. Zoe struggled to roll and avoid it, but was still hit accurately by Wei Yan in the next second.
The White Moonlight sniper sucked in a breath of cold air, his brow tight. It was clear that the injury wasn’t light. Wei Yan’s timing had been too accurate, making it so that Wen Lin was just one second too late in launching his machine gun attack.
This counterattack was basically futile.
Wei Yan’s location was too good. The death god on the white horse was similar to Zoe’s ‘Chariot’ card, but while the controller of the chariot just sat there watching lions dance, Wei Yan, who was sitting on the horse, used it like a prison to eliminate every player who came in.
This included Zoe, and also included Wen Lin.
In the darkness, Wen Lin tossed a bandage to Zoe, and the White Moonlight sniper suddenly turned sideways to shoot Wei Yan who was on the horse––
There was a series of cries in the director’s studio.
“Blind snipe without pre-aiming!”, “This is a trainee?”, “It hit?! My god, is this the ultimate recovery?”
Blood Pigeon took over the microphone, “This a very admirable sniper shot. The injury to his right hand had no effect on him. Although you can see that his right hand is shaking on the camera, there was no problem with the shot trajectory. Wei Yan’s left leg was hit. However––after clearing out four rounds and picking up all the equipment, Wei Yan has a total of six bulletproof vests.”
The R-Code Entertainment trainee on horseback was still expressionless, but his attacks were increasingly fierce.
After finding shelter, Zoe gritted his teeth and wrapped up his arm while Wen Lin stopped shooting his machine gun to look at Wei Yan who was high up above.
Wen Lin spoke simply, “You look for the exit.” He then quickly unloaded his ammunition and handed a spray gun to Zoe, “Little Witch and Caesar have cleared their instance, and arrived at instance number 10. The door is locked. Little Witch asked twice just now, so turn on your mic and have them meet you in three minutes.”
Zoe froze, “You want to cover my retreat?”
Wen Lin nodded.
But in the next second, the equipment that had been tossed to Zoe was pushed back. The dark blue pupils of the sniper glittered in the dark, and his expression wasn’t pretty, “Impossible. It was like this in the last elimination match, and like this again in the last Crosson Show. No way.”
Wen Lin explained good-naturedly, “I’m the support position––”
Zoe interrupted him, speaking at a volume that couldn’t be heard by the camera, “F*ck the support position. Back when you entered White Moonlight, your first choice was the heavy artillery position.”
Even before Wen Lin could react, Zoe had already supported his right arm and stood up abruptly. He looked down from above and spat out a single word through his teeth. “Go.” He skillfully picked up the shotgun with his left hand, and his sniper rifle was jammed over his back for the first time as he turned to charge at Wei Yan without any trace of hesitation.
Crosson Show director’s studio.
The audience couldn’t hear their conversation, but they could clearly perceive Zoe’s mood. There was an uproar the moment the sniper stood up.
Blood Pigeon’s eyebrows drew together, “Zoe shouldn’t be the one going out to provide cover.”
Ying Xiangxiang glanced at him and slowly opened her mouth to say, “Just now, in the match with Jingyi, should Zuo Botang not have been the one to be eliminated?”
Blood Pigeon stilled.
Ying Xiangxiang: “Zoe and Wen Lin are both trainees from last season’s Crosson Show. Last year, Zoe was only two places short of a debut while Wen Lin was ranked 60th. This year, in the previous elimination match––Wen Lin was 59th and received a B- rating. Nearly half of the 8 elimination matches have already taken place. If a contestant wants to debut, they have to at least have gotten an A in the first few rounds.”
“Do you understand now? Zoe is a good captain. What he wants is to have Wen Lin qualify along with him.”
A long time later, Blood Pigeon finally replied, “Not bad.”
Ying Xiangxiang relaxed, “However, who doesn’t want to win?”
On the screen, Wei Yan’s expression turned even more stiff, but his lips were pressed tighter than before, which seemed to be the only way for him to express his emotions. Zoe was less than 20 meters away from him, and the spray gun he used drew blood, leaving three wounds scattered on his body. Red could also finally be seen on Wei Yan’s left leg.
Wei Yan looked straight at him and finally pulled out the double barrel hunting gun that hadn’t been used before off his back. He was solemn and serious in the three seconds it took to load his gun.
“He’s showing respect for the opponent in front of him.” Blood Pigeon spoke slowly.
Inside the arena, the atmosphere between the White Moonlight members was very stiff. The entrance to instance number 9 was locked as the instance was still ongoing, but Caesar was howling furiously outside the door.
Wen Lin’s voice was very low, and he paused after every word.
Wu Jin was trying to catch his breath, “Is the situation not good?”
Wen Lin gave an affirmative answer.
Wu Jin nodded. “No rush. The exit leads to instance number 10. We can roughly figure things out from here. We’ll gather together as soon as the door opens and go straight into instance number 10––”
Caesar’s voice was deep as he interrupted, “Aren’t we going to keep the door open and kill Wei Yan?”
Wu Jin withstood the pressure from Caesar and said, “The sacrificial fire is spreading, and the corridor is going to burn. Only instance number 10 is safe––we have to go there.”
There was a sudden angry roar over the team channel, followed by the sound of Wen Lin’s machine gun––
Wei Yan was finished loading up his gun.
Zoe spat out a mouthful of blood. He turned on the communication channel in the last second and called out fiercely, “Little Witch!”
Wu Jin stilled, and the hand holding the handle of the gun clenched tight.
Zoe: “Remember what I said––”
Wei Yan pulled the trigger.
The sound of the double-barreled hunting gun rocked through the skies, and the silver life-saving capsule popped up. The elimination quota for instance clearance was reached, and the exit finally opened up.
Wu Jin snuck a quick look at Caesar, but the assault was in a state of rage and didn’t notice.
Wei Yan’s next goal was Wen Lin.
Wen Lin gritted his teeth and retreated quickly the moment the exit opened up. His actions didn’t hesitate, and he even returned fire constantly. The corridor outside the exit was half burned by the sacrificial fire, and the moment when he dashed out, Caesar and Wu Jin, who were guarding the door, heard the sound of gunshots and swiftly supplemented his gunfire, forcing Wen Lin to seek shelter.
Wu Jin immediately said, “Retreat. Go to instance number 10 for the decisive battle.”
Caesar refused to budge and seemed to even be nursing his anger. He raged at Wu Jin for the first time, “Little Witch, how does your Brother Zoe treat you normally? Wei Yan is right in front of us––”
Wu Jin turned back abruptly.
The youth’s eyes were narrowed, his eyes flashing with cold light. He was a little shorter than Caesar, but he didn’t show any timidity when he raised his head, and he even held a strong sense of aggression.
“I have the right of command.” Wu Jin gestured for Caesar to look at the commander device. He pursed his lips, then spoke slowly, imitating Zoe’s ability to apply pressure.
Zoe was the primary commander of the White Moonlight team, and Wu Jin was the second in command. Zoe had filled in the form and submitted it two weeks before the game. Now that Zoe had been eliminated, the position of authority in the communication channel had fallen to contestant 300012, Wu Jin.
Caesar still refused to accept it, “There are still 25 people left alive. You can protect your A ranking if you want, or survive until the end if that’s what you want, but I’m going to go avenge Zoe, damn it––”
Wu Jin shot Wen Lin a cool glance.
Wen Lin didn’t hesitate, “Go with Little Witch.”
Caesar laughed angrily, “You guys go. I’ll go on alone.”
Wu Jin looked at him for two seconds, his eyes hooded and blocking the sharp, cold light in his pupils. He reached out and rolled up his sleeves, removing the two guns on his back one after the other. His back was straight, like a white-edged bayonet, forcefully pressing down all of Caesar’s doubts.
“Zoe was eliminated at 27th place. There’s only one way to ensure he keeps his grade, which is to take first place as a team. Do you understand me?”
xiin: my Zoe x Wen Lin ship ahhhh i love them~
Juurensha: ...yeah now I ship Zoe/Wen Lin too.