Looking at Jing Yuan's sincerely concerned expression, Stelle found herself momentarily unable to voice any blame. She could only grit her silver teeth and let out a heavy sigh, saying, "N-No problem, let's go. Let's hurry up and clear this task."
Damn You Ci, why wasn't there a "one-click skip" mode added to this plot segment?
The rest of the road was uneventful. Soon, after passing through the Alchemy Commission and arriving at the Scalegorge Waterscape, the group finally spotted the "mastermind" of this story's plot at the Dragonvista Rain Hall.
That figure was dressed in a luxurious robe, with dragon horns on his head symbolizing his status. Hearing the group's approaching footsteps, he turned around unhurriedly and said, "Dragon Master Taoran, greets the Luofu General. I wonder what brings you here today?"
"First off, according to the Alliance Oath, no Vidyadhara blood may be shed within Vidyadhara territory, so you all can put away your weapons first and talk things over amicably."
—["The protagonists of the story, after going through trials and tribulations, finally found the inside job Dragon Master lurking within the Luofu. However, the cunning Dragon Master clearly won't surrender just like that. Facing the aggressive group, it brought out its pre-prepared rhetoric—the Alliance Oath!"]
You Ci began supplementing the settings again:
["With the Alliance Oath as backing, the protagonist team felt at a loss for a moment, because this is a precept that even the general cannot violate. Anyone who breaks it becomes an enemy of the entire Xianzhou Alliance."]
"Ya rl ya rl!" Stelle interrupted You Ci's narration and said, "I've had enough of this role-playing game. It's about time to end it."
With that, she drew her Flame Lance right in front of everyone: "Same words as before!"
"The Xianzhou's oath can't control the gun in my hand!"
Whoosh—!
Taoran apparently hadn't expected Stelle to act directly either. He was solidly stabbed by the latter's Flame Lance and spat out a mouthful of saliva on the spot, collapsing to the ground.
"Cough cough... Damn it, Jing Yuan, why are you just watching?!" Taoran clutched his chest and raged, "As the dignified Luofu General, are you just going to watch an outsider violate the oath and attack one of your own?!"
Jing Yuan smiled faintly: "Heh, guess why I'm called the 'Closed-Eyes General'?"
Taoran: "You!"
Stelle kicked forward: "You what you! Let me tell you, I'm really pissed right now..."
"Wait!"
"Everyone, pile on! There's no one else here anyway, so no one will know if we hit or not. Besides, the oath only said we can't make him bleed, not that we can't hit him!"
The group, upon hearing this, felt it made sense, so they all joined in—including the Jing Yuan who had been spectating all along.
Ding ding clang clang! (The sounds of the group beating him)
"D-Don't hit! Wait a second—"
Stelle landed five or six elbows in a single second, showing no intention of stopping. Right now, she just wanted to hurry up and grind down the opponent's health bar, then leave this Fictional Narrative.
"Stop hitting! If you hit anymore, someone will die! No grudge, no enmity, why are you hitting me?"
Just as she was beating him very satisfyingly, Stelle suddenly felt the surrounding environment shift, and the "Dragon Master" under her feet changed voices as well. When she came back to her senses, they had already returned to the entrance of Sanyou Bookstore. At Stelle's feet lay a very familiar, disheveled figure.
A company uniform, familiar yellow hair and sunglasses...
Stelle: ?
What was going on?
...
Five minutes ago.
After being instantly killed by the opponent in the first round of the group stage matches, Scott's mood was unusually heavy.
Unless he won all the remaining matches, he had no chance of advancing—just like that phrase: "It's already over! Can you win them all? It's very difficult~"
So, he decided to go out for a walk by himself to relax his mood, while constantly reminding himself inwardly: People might be unlucky occasionally, but not always so unlucky.
As long as he kept a level head, with his strength, there was still a complete possibility of advancing.
However, just as he was strolling alone to the Exalting Sanctum, he suddenly heard a familiar voice:
"The Xianzhou's oath can't control the gun in my hand!"
Upon hearing this sentence, Scott's first reaction was: Yo? Who's so bold? Is the Xianzhou's folkway this simple and open now? Daring to say such things casually on the street—are they tired of living?
As a result, when he turned his head, he saw a certain fated enemy with gray hair.
It was right in front of a bookstore. At this moment, a large crowd of onlookers had already gathered around, the passersby excitedly munching on watermelons while staring at those few people, looking as if they were accustomed to such things long ago.
Scott walked forward and patted the shoulder of the nearest passerby to him, asking, "Hey, buddy, what are you all watching?"
The passerby replied, "Of course it's the special program arranged by the Sanyou Bookstore boss. This bookstore always has situations like this at the entrance. It should be some kind of reality show program. Those four people have been performing there for a good while!"
"Speaking of which, this boss is really willing to invest. To drum up business for the bookstore, he even does these programs. So interesting."
Reality show?
Scott looked toward the bookstore entrance. He didn't know if it was truly fated enmity, but those four people—he actually knew all of them, and they were all enemies with whom he had past grievances!
He remembered Bailu. When he first came to the Luofu, it was to challenge her, but unexpectedly, he was instantly killed by her AOE skill and even used by her as a negative teaching material in her lessons, humiliated.
He remembered Clara, that terrifying loli who had led him in a game of deadly hide-and-seek in Belobog's Underworld. Not long ago, she had even one-punched him to death on the competition field.
He remembered Lingsha. At the docks near the Artisanship Commission, this guy had spouted "righteousness," "hero," "good fellow," yet disregarded his privacy by publicly dismantling his cargo crates, even tearing apart his mecha with his hands.
He remembered Stelle, this gray hair... this gray hair! Forget it, too much hatred at once, too much to even know how to describe.
Wherever he went to the Xianzhou, this gray hair was on the Xianzhou; he went to Belobog, this gray hair was in Belobog; even if he went to Penacony, this gray hair went to Penacony.
Scott even suspected if this guy was deliberately blocking him, but why? Could it be that this gray hair had a crush on him? Unable to get him, so turning love to hate? Mm, this possibility was probably the greatest. To encounter him and attract his attention, she had specially manufactured one accident and encounter after another.
Fortunately, heaven had eyes and still gave him a chance for revenge.
Scott revealed a malicious smile, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He was going to record all the black history of these four people, then photoshop, dub, and post it online, making them socially dead and ruining their reputations.
OS: Record closer, otherwise it won't be clear.
However, just as Scott was preparing to rush up close for recording, the unexpected happened!
Stelle suddenly gripped the air, pulling out a Flame Lance even thicker and larger than herself, and thrust it straight at Scott!
Scott, seeing this, instinctively turned and ran, but unfortunately, his speed was still too slow. This stab solidly pierced his butt.
"Awooo!"
Scott cried out in pain, enduring the hurt as he tried to flee.
But at this moment, for some reason, Stelle—who had originally only been performing small movements in place—suddenly chased after him, kicking him to the ground with one foot, while saying something like "You what you? Let me tell you, I'm really pissed right now," and raising her fist to punch.
Even more terrifying was that not long after Stelle started, the others also surrounded him with dazed gazes, holding him down for a round of chaotic punches.
...
Time returned to now.
Stelle looked at the bruised and swollen Scott under her feet and scratched her head in confusion: "Ah?"