In silence, Stelle had already made up her mind.
The next time she returned to Belobog, she would definitely beg Nero to enlighten them too.
However, Nero had specifically mentioned weapons earlier... Perhaps only weapons could be enlightened. Maybe that was the limitation of Black Cutter's ability.
But...
Who said trash cans weren't weapons?
This was the ultimate hidden weapon for street fights... combat, combining the functions of a weapon, armor, trap, poison, and more into one. It was comparable to a super weapon capable of taking your life three thousand times over.
First, there was the lid. Round and large, with a handle on top, making it easy to hold with one hand. It was an excellent shield.
Then there was the trash inside. The unique fragrance it gave off already worked like poisonous gas.
The contents could also be thrown as poisoned hidden weapons. Once hit, the enemy would immediately make a pained face and cry out endlessly.
Finally, there was the body of the can itself. A top-grade item. Round, thick, sturdy, and solid. While not as handy as a baseball bat, it could still serve as a heavy club that kept enemies from getting close.
Besides being used as a club, it could also function as a trap. Suddenly lift it up, aim the opening at the enemy, and drop it over their head.
Their eyes would be unable to see, their hands unable to move, with only their legs left outside. Escape would be difficult.
At that point, you could knock them to the ground and beat them until they begged for mercy.
If the enemy was prepared and reached out to stop your attack, you could also use some footwork. Kick the groin, trip the legs, strike the knee or shin, twist the ankle.
Any of these could bring them down. Then you could continue swinging the can until they surrendered.
When using such tactics, if there were still hidden weapons left inside the can, it would become a poisonous formation.
Not only would you beat the enemy physically, but you would also inflict severe mental damage.
If those hidden weapons happened to include some suspicious liquid, then the power of that mental damage would increase several times over.
A trash can was such a versatile, useful, and easy-to-hide ultimate killing weapon.
How could it not count as a weapon?
While Stelle was lost in her imagination, Nero spoke again.
"If that's the case, then we don't need to do anything ourselves. The Hidden Moon Gourds will handle those Heliobi on their own.
"Come on, give your two gourds to Black Cutter too. Let him cast his spell on them. Then we can go straight to Huiyan and beat him up."
What simple and direct words.
What decisive arrangements.
What straightforward methods.
Just like the boy himself, simple-minded and pure.
Naturally, Stelle and Huohuo had no reason to refuse.
So the Hidden Moon Gourds in their hands also grew arms and legs, gained the ability to speak, and then diligently went off to work.
Seeing such a simple solution, Xueyi immediately gathered all the Hidden Moon Gourds she could obtain right away, adding several more members to this professional Heliobus suppression team.
"Brothers, do you know what lesson this part of the story teaches us?"
Watching this scene, Siberian Duck suddenly asked.
The barrage, which had been endlessly scrolling with words like "abstract," "hahaha..." and "holy crap, it grew arms and legs," paused briefly before new answers appeared.
[Nero's Sword: This story teaches us that Black Cutter's ability is truly absurd. I thought animated weapons would be something really cool and impressive. Didn't expect this kind of animated weapon.]
[Nero's Black Cutter: It's just talking and growing arms and legs. Forget everything else, just tell me whether it's alive or not!]
[Aha's Emanator: Alive, alive! Brother, it's really alive. Please stop using your powers already!]
[I Use Pantene: Honestly, considering Black Cutter's ability, Nero's choice isn't wrong. But this bizarre animation style makes me worry about the mental state of the game's planners.]
[So Handsome I Get Beaten Up on the Street: True. They were crazy before, but now they're clearly even crazier.]
[Belobog Savage: I hope HoYoverse takes care of the planners' physical and mental health. I'm afraid they'll go completely insane and then nobody will make such insane storylines for me anymore.]
[Glue Man: No problem. If the planners collapse, Brother Pee-Yellow can take over. Setting aside everything else, he's top-tier when it comes to being crazy and handing out rewards.]
[Dan-heart Eternal: Agreed.]
[Wind-Boy Solo-Stan: Can't argue with that.]
[Put Nero's Feet in My Mouth: See my username? If I become a planner, I'll turn this into an event. Before any of you get to play it, I'll play it hundreds of times myself!]
[Pom-Pom: Good grief, Brother Pee-Yellow personally showed up to prove the point.]
[Madam Herta Fan Support Club: Brother Pee-Yellow just gave direct proof that everyone's evaluation of him was completely correct.]
———
Watching the Hidden Moon Gourds run off into the distance, Xueyi still couldn't help feeling a strange sense of unease.
But that feeling quickly faded.
Nero's strange abilities eased much of the anxiety in her heart. With methods like these, it felt as though victory could be achieved without worrying about the unavoidable costs and sacrifices.
After letting out a soft breath, Xueyi said, "Though I possess a mechanical body, fear still crossed my mind. Looking at things now, it seems there is no need to worry too much."
Huohuo looked up at her.
"Lady Xueyi gets scared too?"
"Faced with a monster that can manipulate life at will, I feared... that I would never be able to work alongside my sister again."
Xueyi spoke softly, then adjusted her mood and said seriously, "Let's go. From here, I will split up from all of you and destroy the puppets possessed by Huiyan."
"Before that foolish Heliobus realizes what is happening, we will suppress all the Heliobi gathered by the Hidden Moon Gourds."
"...So we're activating the Evil-Warding Binding Formation?" Huohuo asked.
Xueyi nodded.
"Once everything is complete, we will meet at Exalting Sanctum. The formation will be activated at the center of the Evil-Warding Binding Formation."
"Understood," Huohuo replied.
At this point, the plan had been fully explained, and everyone immediately set off.
Along the way, they could see many judges being pinned to the ground and forcefully sucked on by the animated Hidden Moon Gourds.
These gourds with arms and legs were also exceptionally powerful. Their muscular limbs possessed astonishing strength. Against these judges, if they couldn't knock one down with a single punch, two punches would do the job.
As they passed one area, they heard Huiyan's voice coming from somewhere unknown. Perhaps it was one of the fragments he had split off to possess the puppets.
"Holy crap, what is this thing?!"
On the road, Huohuo asked in confusion, "Huiyan's power is so great. Why would he willingly split himself apart so easily?"
Fuyan answered with disdain, "Hmph. The stronger someone is, the more likely they are to underestimate their opponents without hesitation... On the contrary, sometimes weakness is the key to survival."
As she spoke, they saw a group of people kicked to the ground by a Hidden Moon Gourd with a gourd-shaped head and body.
These muscle gourds charged over one after another like wrestlers, then used highly artistic techniques to restrain the possessed judges. After that, they fiercely sucked through the opening on top of their heads.
As Huiyan's fragments were swallowed into the bellies of the animated Hidden Moon Gourds, layer upon layer of miserable screams rang out. Nobody knew whether it was because the gourds were sucking too hard.
Huohuo, meanwhile, was trembling in fear from the screams.
"Where did all that courage from earlier go?" Tail scolded irritably.