aircannonsinc Chapter 267 The Skill That Drives the Gods Mad
Chapter 267 The Skill That Drives the Gods Mad
Chapter 267 The Skill That Drives the Gods Mad
The Tower of Babel has thirty stories.
With the goddess Astraea's personal confirmation, the gods were dumbfounded, all stunned by the immense power displayed by Astraea's Familia.
Four Level 1 adventurers suddenly appeared, one of whom, "Swift Wind" Ryu Leon, had even reached Level 6!
Takemikazuchi smiled bitterly. It turned out that the girls of the Astrea Familia hadn't lied; Lilyluka Erd really was the weakest among them.
Despite being a healer, Cassandra still easily defeats Lily despite the huge gap between LV.4 and LV.3, as they were both taught by the same master (Ryu).
Until Ishtar broke the deathly silence.
"impossible!"
Ishtar pointed at the goddess Astraea, roaring hysterically, "Astroea, it was you! You must have secretly used divine power!"
In the vast hall of the gods, only Ishtar's questioning voice remained; the gods remained silent.
Astraea is the goddess of justice, and it is almost impossible for her to use her divine power to forcibly enhance the aptitude or strength of her mortal followers.
It goes against the other side's justice! But the growth rate of the Astrea Familia members is too outrageous.
Ryu and Roy go without saying.
Tiony, Tiona, Daphne, Cassandra, and Lily were at least two major levels lower than they are now a few months ago, and their growth has been like a rocket!
Even though "Sword Maiden" Ais Wallenstein hacks and slashes relentlessly in the dungeon, she can only barely guarantee a level up once a year, and even then, it's only one of the earlier levels.
Could it be that all members of the Astrea Familia possess talent surpassing that of the "Sword Princess"?
That's absolutely impossible!
Astraea sighed softly, "I have never used my divine power on those children; these are the fruits of their labor."
The gods exerted their utmost effort, but Astraea showed no sign of lying!
But what's even more unacceptable is that it's not.
It's all about hard work and sweat?
The gods' gazes were fixed firmly on Astraea, as if they wouldn't give up until she gave them a clear explanation, more persistent than ever before.
Astrea had anticipated this situation. This time, the upgrade of everyone was too exaggerated. Without an explanation, the gods would never let it go.
Fortunately, Roy had already given her authorization.
Astraea looked helpless. "Fine—"
Seeing that Astraea was showing signs of relenting, the gods were overjoyed and instinctively straightened their bodies. Astraea looked up and gazed gently at Roy, who appeared in the mirror.
The gods followed Astraea's gaze and looked at Roy with puzzled expressions.
The budding of justice?
The doubt in the gods' eyes quickly turned into astonishment. It was as if a lightning bolt had flashed through their minds, tearing apart the hazy chaos, and goosebumps rose all over their bodies.
Astraea's pursed lips moved slightly. "Roy, that child's awakened skill can affect growth rate, including that of his fellow members of the same familia."
As Astraea's earth-shattering words faded beneath the dome of the hall.
The magnificent congregation hall fell into a suffocating, deathly silence!
The next second—
Like magma suppressed for millennia bursting through the earth's crust, the features of all the gods present were distorted, their eyes ignited by a fanatical light, and expressions of excitement, shock, disbelief, and madness appeared on their faces!
"Just as I expected! Just as I thought!!"
The gods murmured, as if they had finally confirmed something.
Roy's meteoric rise and defied logic in leveling up led the gods to vaguely suspect that he possessed an extremely rare skill that affected his growth rate.
This was confirmed by Astrea herself!
Even more outrageous than they guessed, Roy's skills could even affect his fellow members of the same clan!
Tiony, Tiona, Daphne, Cassandra, and Lily have been leveling up at almost the same speed as Roy since they started following him!
It can only be described as a miracle!
Loki's lips twitched. This was outrageous. That brat had awakened such a skill.
One person can take the entire clan into the air!
Hermes' eyes burn with fervor—a hero destined to save the world? Is this the guidance of fate?
"Asteria, please, let my child join your familia temporarily!"
"Me too!"
"Lend Roy's brother to me, for a year, just one year, I'll pay fifty million falies!"
The gods, belatedly realizing what was happening, surrounded Astraea, and a cacophony of noise filled the air, turning the entire divine assembly hall into a chaotic marketplace.
The gods were driven mad by this!
They have felt the power of Roy's skill most deeply over the past year, watching him level up at record-breaking speed time and time again.
They were even able to help others level up, creating an S-rank clan in just one year!
Previously, Roy was the one who upgraded.
The gods couldn't take Roy away, so while they were excited, they only felt regret. Now that they know Roy can also help people level up, they've gone completely crazy!
Even Loki was smitten!
Loki felt as if a huge stone was lodged in her heart. If she had taken Roy in back then, she would definitely be able to beat Freya, that infatuated girl, right now.
"How annoying!" Loki silently shed small pearls.
Ishtar's eyes were bloodshot, her heart filled with envy and jealousy towards Astraea. Why wasn't Roy on her side?!
Faced with the gods' almost frantic pleas, Astraea gave a helpless smile. "Do you think that skill comes without a price?"
The surroundings fell silent instantly, and the gods were stunned.
Yes!
Would such outrageous skills come without any cost? Powerful strength always comes with risk.
"It involves the child's secret, so I can't go into details about that skill—" Astraea said softly, though she didn't know either.
But since nobody knows.
She can make up whatever she wants, using ambiguous language to hint at things; that doesn't count as a lie.
"Don't you care if the children leave you forever?" Astraea asked.
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of the gods, slightly dampening their enthusiasm.
The gods frowned and began a collective brainstorming session.
Does this mean that people who use Roy's skill to level up can no longer switch to other clans?
That would be a bit tricky!
They wanted to use Roy's skills to enhance the strength of their own family, rather than sending talented individuals to the Astrea Familia.
"Let's talk about this later. The children's battle isn't over yet," Astraea said, her deep blue eyes fixed on the Divine Mirror.
The gods' attention returned to the divine mirror.
But to be honest, given the strength shown by the Astrea Familia, this war game is already a foregone conclusion, unless the Ishtar Familia suddenly becomes incredibly powerful.
Upon learning that Roy possessed such an exaggeratedly rare skill, the gods surrounded Astraea like stars around the moon, a treatment that Ishtar usually received.
A goddess of beauty who commands everyone's attention can always firmly draw everyone's gaze to herself.
Therefore, in Ishtar's eyes, her only rival was Freya, who was also a goddess of beauty.
He didn't even take Loki seriously.
But at this moment, she seemed to have been forgotten by everyone.
Ishtar was pale and swaying, feeling dizzy and almost falling. She hadn't lost to Astraea, but to Roy.
He lost to a mere mortal?!
Ishtar clenched her fists, her sharp nails digging deep into her palms, her teeth clenched tightly.
No, she hasn't lost yet!
Seroru Forest.
This war game once again proves the truth: numbers are insignificant in the face of level differences!
A high-level adventurer group consisting of over two hundred combat prostitutes and Ishtar men. Ishtar Spring Clan LV.2 is worse than a dog, and LV.3 are everywhere.
However, Roy and his group easily broke through their defenses!
The most eye-catching was Liu, the LV.6 adventurer, who was unstoppable amidst a vast army, cutting through everything like vegetables, and no one could stop her.
A figure flashed past, knocking over a large group of people, raising dust, and causing screams to fill the air.
At LV.6, Ryu is at least a hundred times stronger than at LV.4 in terms of strength, durability, speed, magical power, and all other aspects!
"Weren't you quite arrogant in the dungeon?"
Daphne sneered, grabbing Samira, a member of the Ishtar Familia, with both hands. Samira was one of the survivors of the hunt on the 37th floor.
Before Samira could answer, Daphne slammed her head into Samira's forehead.
With a loud thud, Samira, at level 3, suffered a head injury, bleeding profusely, and lost consciousness due to a concussion.
Daphne, with her skills and magic activated, remained unharmed; this is the highest level of durability at LV.4.
Thinking of their ordeal in the dungeon, Daphne, Cassandra, and Lily were filled with rage and acted without hesitation. For the sake of the Astrea Familia's reputation, they could not carry out a massacre in front of all the gods, adventurers, and people of Orario.
However, targeting areas prone to pain and inflicting serious injury is a basic tactic.
This level of severity is quite normal.
Even in the daily training of other clans, the gods allow for death quotas. Adventurers are a high-risk, high-reward profession that involves risking one's life. If you can't even accept this kind of injury, you might as well go back to playing house.
The number of Ishtar Familia members still able to stand on the battlefield is decreasing at a visible rate.
It was obvious to everyone that the complete annihilation of the Ishtar Familia was only a matter of time.
This result was far beyond everyone's expectations.
The city was deathly silent. Many adventurers and civilians stared blankly at the scene presented by the divine mirror, their hearts filled with unbearable shock.
The battle has turned into a one-sided rout!
When did the Astrea Familia become so powerful? The light of justice shines over the entire city!
Gamblers in casinos and taverns wailed and wept, clutching their money!
Meanwhile, on the thirtieth floor of the Tower of Babel.
Why?
Ishtar's face was grim as she stared at the image in the mirror. She couldn't count on the battle prostitute and her men, but she still had a trump card to win.
Lina Talley is well hidden. It doesn't matter if Aisha and the others are defeated; as long as they can hold off Roy and his group, that's enough.
The prostitutes only need to find six treasures.
That's right, this is a war game!
You don't necessarily have to defeat your opponent to win!
But things turned out far beyond Ishtar's expectations. More than three thousand prostitutes successfully found five magical items, but they couldn't find the sixth one for a long time. They were only one step away from victory, which made Ishtar very anxious.
"What are those useless people doing?! Hurry up and find the sixth magical item!" Ishtar's face was contorted with rage, and she kept urging them on, not caring whether the prostitutes on the other side of the mountains could hear her.
The gods also gazed into the divine mirror.
Given the overwhelming strength of the Astrea Familia, Ishtar's only chance of victory is to find the treasure.
But this matter is not simple.
Guild treasure hunts push the limits of human imagination. For example, one treasure is placed inside a large fish and then placed in a lake. Another treasure is even suspended in the sky by Asphie's flying device.
If you can find one, that's amazing!
This is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack; finding it and getting it are both extremely difficult!
Rather, it's more accurate to say that the fact that prostitutes who hadn't received much training and spent their days lying in bed serving men could find five magical items was beyond people's expectations and raised suspicions.
Those prostitutes seemed to know where the treasure was from the beginning; their goal was clear and they were completely oblivious.
The gods couldn't help but frown.
Fortunately, five magical items were already the limit. The prostitutes in the divine mirror were like headless flies, frantically searching for the sixth item.
Astraea whispered, "Ishtar."
Hearing Astraea's call, Ishtar turned her head, attracting the attention of the gods as well.
"Ishtar, using charm to get the location of the treasure from the guild staff in advance is indeed a good strategy," Astraea sneered.
Ishtar's pupils contracted slightly. Why did Astraea know about this?
The gods suddenly realized that there was such a trick.
Dirty, so dirty!
The upright gods, such as Gubernius, Demeter, Takemikazuchi, and Hephaestus, looked at Ishtar with a hint of disgust. This kind of behavior was too disgusting and had no bottom line!
The neutral gods Hermes, Loki, and others wore pleasant smiles. All's fair in war, they didn't dislike this kind of approach, but there's a difference between being bad and being stupid. Doing this kind of thing is bad, but if you do it and it gets discovered and put on the table, then it's stupid!
Ishtar is clearly the kind of person who is both wicked and stupid, and Astraea won this round again.
It's impossible for the Ishtar Familia to collect all six treasures!
Cornered, Ishtar could only resort to sophistry, sneering, "Asteria, don't frame me! Show me your evidence!"
"————" The gods were speechless.
Do they even need evidence in front of them?
If Ishtar simply says before the gods, "I have never used charm on guild members to obtain the location of treasure burial sites," the gods will sense that she is not lying and she will be cleared of suspicion. Ishtar dares not do this, as it would be tantamount to admitting that she did it.
Astraea shook her head slightly, too lazy to argue with Ishtar anymore; she wasn't worthy of listening.
She has no evidence, but she doesn't need to prove it either!
Once the war game ends, Ishtar will be sent back to the heavens and will never be able to descend to the mortal realm again.
Why should Astraea waste her breath and argue over someone she will never see again?
Astraea's "high and mighty" attitude drove Ishtar to the brink of madness; that contemptuous and disdainful gaze tore through the deepest defenses in her heart.
They've completely broken through!
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Ishtar was panting heavily, her eyes filled with ferocious bloodshot veins, like a gambler who had lost everything and was willing to do anything for the next victory.
She can't lose! Otherwise, she'll be sent back to the Heavenly Realm!
She will lose everything she has built in the lower realm. Ishtar, driven by wickedness, has another trump card up her sleeve!
Meanwhile, on the other side...
Roy, Ryu, Daphne, Cassandra, and Lily stood on the battlefield, surrounded by only a few remaining fighting prostitutes.
Although the battle was very intense and the enemy was almost wiped out, only about ten minutes had passed.
The battle between Tione, Tiona, and Aisha was also nearing its end. The strength they gained through "Level Ascension" was still different from that of a true LV.5 adventurer, not to mention that she was facing two equally powerful opponents and was being overwhelmed.
Roy knew this all too well; he had once used a trial card to level up to LV.7, without any skills or magic.
Development capability, a blank slate value.
"Level Upgrade" is probably not as good as Level Trial Card, the latter grants the maximum ability value!
The difference between high-level and low-level ability values is quite exaggerated. Otherwise, how could Roy suppress that dead pig Ota? It's all about the numbers!
Clang!
Tiona roared, and her large twin blades tore through the air, slashing down towards Aisha!
Despite her shock, Aisha remained calm and parried fiercely with her broadsword, sparks flying amidst a deafening explosion!
The immense force sent numbness through Aisha's arms and cracked the ground beneath her feet!
However-
Just as the blade was deflected, before Tiona could retract her right hand holding the knife, her left fist, brimming with power, blasted out like a cannonball!
The timing was impeccable, and the speed was lightning fast!
Bang-!!
Covered in wounds, Aisha couldn't dodge. A dull, heart-pounding sound of flesh and bone colliding rang out as the punch landed squarely between her chest and abdomen!
Aisha felt as if she had been struck by an ancient behemoth; her eyes bulged out, and she could no longer suppress a mouthful of thick blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, spitting it out violently.
The excruciating pain and devastating injury caused her defenses to crumble instantly! Her body staggered backward uncontrollably!
Tione's figure suddenly appeared, and instead of slashing with the silver crescent blade, he transformed it into a heavy blunt weapon, slamming it down on Aisha's knee with tremendous force!
Click!
The clear cracking sound of bones breaking was enough to make your teeth ache! Aisha could no longer hold on; her legs buckled, and like a giant bird with broken wings, she collapsed to her knees.
But this was only the beginning of the nightmare!
Punch! Kick! Blade! Knee strike! Elbow strike!
Aside from not taking her life, Tione and Tiona's attacks were like an impenetrable storm of death, engulfing the heavily wounded and kneeling Aisha.
The heavy, blunt sound of impact, the cracking of bones, the suppressed groan of pain —
A frenzied symphony resounded across this vast battlefield!
Aisha's body was like a tattered rag doll in a storm, pinned to the cold ground by her two opponents, enduring merciless and brutal attacks capable of destroying steel! Each attack caused her body to tremble violently, and blood continuously spilled from her mouth, nose, and wounds, staining the ground beneath her red.
"Stop! Please stop—!!"
Witnessing Aisha being engulfed by a storm of attacks and beaten beyond recognition, the fox-girl's heart felt as if it were being repeatedly cut by countless blunt knives. Aisha had always treated her like a younger sister.
She cried out in a hoarse voice, her cries sharp and broken, filled with desperate lamentation.
However, all that answered her was the cold clamor of the battlefield and the relentless echo of clashing weapons.
Her pleas were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, not even causing a ripple.
The silence and indifference were like a bucket of ice water that roused her, and a sense of almost tragic resolve ignited in her tearful emerald eyes.
next moment!
The fox-girl moved without hesitation.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, she desperately weaved through the gaps of death amidst flashing blades and raging energy! Flying pebbles grazed her delicate skin, and the violent air currents nearly knocked her over!
But in her eyes was only that handsome young man standing on the edge of the storm—Roy!
at last!
She used all her strength to lunge at Roy!
His knee slammed heavily onto the cold, gravel-strewn, and blood-stained ground with a dull thud!
Immediately afterwards, she almost crawled on her stomach, her smooth forehead pressed against the cold, dirty ground with an extremely humble posture!
"Please—please—make them stop fighting!" The fox-girl whimpered intermittently, like the dying cry of a wounded cub, begging Roy to stop the two Amazon sisters.