I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 214 is just a mission in space.
New Jersey,

Highway 13 in East Greenwich.

A black Ford Explorer SUV slowly pulled up in front of the roadside restaurant.

A man wearing glasses, a full beard, and a plaid outfit got off the car. Judging from his forward-leaning posture and double chin, he was an ordinary person who worked in the IT industry and didn't exercise much.

As for why he drove through here...

They're just ordinary people who run errands, do fieldwork, and handle official business.

"One hamburger, two servings of fried chicken"

"Another large Coke, please."

As he spoke, the IT guy, who looked rather reserved, took out his wallet.

"how much is it?"

Waiters have seen this kind of person many times before. They skillfully collect money, give change, and then start packaging the food.

The so-called highway restaurants are actually fast food restaurants: this product that emerged in the 1920s can be said to be one of the 'representatives' of American culture: barbecue, fried chicken, and Coca-Cola have been the first choice for countless people who drive out of town since that era.

Even now, these McDonald's restaurants are still found all over America. Of course, their customers are no longer limited to drivers, but have entered the city and are competing with various beverage shops and milk tea shops.

While we were waiting, another seven or eight young people dressed in motorcycle gear, who seemed to be some kind of street racers, arrived in their cars.

They parked their motorcycles outside the restaurant, and the people came over arm in arm to order food.

"Here's your fast food, sir."

A sweet-looking waitress packed up a hamburger, fried chicken, and cola and handed it to the IT guy who was looking down at his phone.

"Ah, thank you."

The IT guy put down his work and reached for the fast food.

Poof————

A dark shadow flashed across the face of the waitress who was jerking back!

Faced with this shocking turn of events, the street racers, who had been chatting and laughing, suddenly turned serious and drew their short sticks from their waists, pressing down with a swift motion.

crackling and popping

Blazing white lightning crackled and danced as the baton swung down from behind, striking the 'IT guy' with tremendous force.

Even without increasing the voltage and current, the 'whooshing' sound of the short sticks cutting through the air proves that once these attacks land, they would be enough to knock down a tiger instantly!

"Virus outbreak!"

Faced with the attack from behind, the 'IT guy' did not turn around, but his entire back suddenly 'exploded'.

That's right, it was an 'explosion': countless black lines erupted from his body, like countless sharp spears, instantly piercing and lifting the several street racers attacking from behind.

"Ho~~!"

"For the glory of the Father!"

However, these speeders did not die.
With a series of angry roars, they transformed into monstrous beings with arms like octopus tentacles, scales covering their bodies, fangs and sharp teeth, and constantly changing colors.

After transforming, it immediately used its claws to scratch and its teeth to tear at the 'black lines' that ran through it.

"Deep Diver?"

The prepared 'IT guy'—no, Agent Mike, whose identity was already exposed after countless black lines erupted from his body—scanned the scene. The ugly half-human, half-aquatic creature's appearance, combined with the forces he had recently 'made enemies with,' made the other person's identity obvious.

This quantity is a bit troublesome.

These monsters with sharp teeth and claws aren't particularly strong, but they are quite powerful, fast, regenerative, and defensive.

According to the official classification, it should be classified as D-: those octopus-tentacle-like arms contain biological toxins that can paralyze people.

unfortunately,

The 'Blacklight Virus' that Agent Mike redeemed is least afraid of various toxins.

"Rain of Curses!"

On the other side, his face was grazed by Agent Mike's 'Black Thorn'.
Beneath the mangled skin, another fish-scale face was revealed. The 'waiter' nimbly flipped over and stood up, raising his hand towards the sky.

Splash,

In the blink of an eye, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

?

Raindrops fell on my body,

Agent Mike immediately felt a wave of weakness.

"The tongue that binds!"

In the roadside restaurant, a man dressed in a chef's uniform, also sporting a 'Deep Diver' look, strode out; he opened his mouth and spat out a large amount of slime that quickly enveloped Agent Mike, who was weakened by the rain.

These are two water-style ninjutsu.

The Cursed Rain is essentially the Dark Side's "Water Release: Cutting Rain".
This technique can unleash a rain of chakra-absorbing droplets, a common method used by the Kirigakure Anbu to weaken enemies.

The slime is one of the guardians of Konoha. The water-style ninjutsu used by Izumo Kamizuki is called "Mizuga-no-Kara" (Water Candy Field): it transforms water-style ninjutsu into a highly adhesive glue. Once someone is stuck to it, his partner Kotetsu can wield a giant weapon and beat them up.

As he immediately swerved and retreated, Agent Mike's legs were still covered in slime, and his body was covered in fine black lines, causing his speed to drop drastically.

"Is this the goal?"

"Looks like a tough opponent."

Two more people who had transformed into 'Deep Divers' emerged from the restaurant. Although they were both weaker than Agent Mike, their numbers were enough to make up for the difference in strength.

"A group of monsters,"

Once surrounded, Agent Mike couldn't help but complain.

"Hey, aren't you a monster yourself?"

The 'Deep One' who came out of the kitchen was unhappy. He was a bit ugly after transforming, but at least he was still 'human-shaped'.

The guy opposite me has turned into a black line; how dare he talk to them?

“Monsters too,”

"Woof woof woof!!"

Amidst the roars, several hounds, also covered in dense scales and with fins on their backs, rushed out of the roadside restaurant; instead of immediately attacking and biting, they trotted around Agent Mike, causing him to frown.

Extraordinary hunting dogs?

With these hunting dogs around, it would be almost impossible to escape the pursuit.

So--

'I want to post a task here.'

Veteran Agent, please submit your mission details.

Nightmare Space is not just a place to do missions and become stronger; by consuming a certain amount of points, you can even issue missions to other 'veterans'.

Combat Mission: Repel the enemies besieging me.

'10 points deducted. Space search indicates that repelling the attackers requires 300 points.'

'Do you wish to submit?'

His face twitched; these extra points represented most of Agent Mike's hard-earned wealth from completing missions.

However, now is not the time to be stingy:
'submit!'

Hopefully, a nearby "experienced" person can arrive in time.

Next-

"Virus mimicry!"

With a flick of his wrists, black lines intertwined and combined to form a thorny whip and a shield, and Agent Mike assumed a fighting stance.

"on!"

The surrounding 'deep divers' didn't waste any words either.
With a powerful leap, he transformed into streaks of afterimages and charged towards his opponent!
Their mission was to ambush and capture this enemy who dared to provoke the church.

Eight D-level 'Deep Divers' and four D+ level 'Favored Ones' are enough to take them down!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Ok?"

Sitting aboard an Osprey transport plane flying from New York to Washington, Fiona, the red-haired woman, was taken aback.

"Real-world mission?"

The blond young gambler was also taken aback. As a veteran of the Nightmare Space, he also 'heard' the cold voice echoing in his mind.

"Priest, you wouldn't be thinking of...?"

"300 points, I'll make a quick buck."

Fiona stood up and walked towards the cabin door.

"The person who posted the mission is nearby. Looks like I'm in luck."

"Okay, you're fine."

The blond youth, codenamed 'Gambler,' hesitated to speak.

In order to recruit this person, he had to "advance" a large amount of points for the Grand Commander;

Even as the President of America, he couldn't repay his debts.

“It won’t take long,” Fiona said, clearly very confident in her abilities. She walked to the open hatch, gracefully leaped out, and plummeted rapidly towards the clouds below.

"Sir, we..."

"Descend the altitude and hover in this area."

Having answered the driver's questions, the gambler showed extra patience towards this 'strongman' whom he had gone to great lengths to recruit.

Well, just sitting and waiting isn't going to work.

"It landed near XXX, XXX. I'll go check it out too."

Who is so "rich" that they would spend a large amount of points in real life to issue a "request for help"?
Ding ding ding,

As she plummeted, her red nun's habit clung to her body, and the hood behind her flapped and snapped incessantly due to the strong winds.

The metal accessories around his waist were also jingling. For ordinary people, this kind of parachute descent is suicidal.

But for Fiona, it was a comfortable experience.

Letting the fierce wind whip her face, the girl squinted until the land before her rapidly magnified, revealing roads, buildings, and fields in sharp focus—

Thump,

A cloud of smoke burst out.
The next moment, a large number of bats flew out of the smoke.

As the bats flapped their wings, they flew toward a battlefield that had been submerged by water.

Snapped! !

A long, black, thorny whip lashed fiercely at a 'Deep Diver'.
The scales that could withstand bullets exploded on the spot, and the taut muscles were also torn apart. The 'Deep Diver', almost cut in half at the waist, was thrown into the water and then dived into it.

"The adhesive rope!"

While Mike was attacking the 'Deep One,' the 'Favored One' dressed in a chef's uniform opened his mouth and spat out:
The slime, as flexible as a rope, wrapped around and bound Agent Mike.

"Okay, keep him under control like this!"

Another 'beneficial being' rushed over through the water, its arm suddenly expanding several times its original size, looking like an inflatable balloon.

"Repent, you blasphemer!"

This move, known as the 'Behemoth Fist,' is a divine favor that only high-ranking members of the 'Hound Squad' can obtain through a series of trials.

After using it, the church's 'hound' was confident that he could blast the armored vehicle into a pancake with his strength: no matter how strange this blasphemer was, he would be crushed into dust by his enormous power!

The Art of the Water Arm

This move essentially involves using a water-based technique to cause a surge in arm muscles, thereby enhancing strength.

Before the fist even landed, the wind from it made Agent Mike's black lines flutter backward.

Faced with the impending crisis, his eyes flickered slightly:
It's time to reveal the final card.

brush,

The black lines that make up his body wriggled, rapidly constructing, reorganizing, and transforming into the upper body of a priest.

? !
"Father George?"

Amidst the shocked gazes of those 'Deep Divers', the half of the 'Priest' formed by black lines raised his hand to meet the 'Blessed One' whose arm had swelled several times its original size.

bang——

With a loud impact, the 'half-priest' was knocked backward, his outstretched arm twisted and deformed.

Snapped,

But at the same time, the 'favored one' who was waving his huge arms also disappeared.

An octopus the size of a human head appeared in his spot.

Then, dancing and jumping, he fell into the water.

"Is it 'malicious polymorphism'?!"

"Why."

"Does he also have the ability to copy other people's abilities?"

This unexpected turn of events caused an uproar among the attacking team; the opponent was actually able to copy abilities.
"Don't panic, be careful not to get touched!"

Having torn off his disguise, the 'favored one,' still dressed as a waiter, shouted to reassure the troops.

"No matter what kind of ability it is, it will consume spiritual power."

"If they keep fighting, he'll be the first one to give out—"

The opponent's strength is at the C- level. Although their abilities are strange and they have almost no weaknesses, they are numerous and there is also the lake environment beneath their feet, so the advantage is on my side!
Pala pala

Just at this time,
The sound of dense wings flapping came from the sky.

The waiter, the "favored one," looked up and saw a dense swarm of bats and a pair of scarlet pupils.

Look into my eyes—

? !
In a flash,

The waiter, 'the favored one,' had a blank stare and was trapped in a hallucination.

"Who?"

"A new enemy?"

Thump,

Amidst the rising smoke, Fiora, who had transformed from a bat into a human, gracefully landed on the water's surface, her gaze sweeping across the entire area.

"So it's an 'agent'! What happened to you that made you look so disheveled?"

"Priestess,"

The agent breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the reinforcements summoned by his mission.

This 'priestess' is a very powerful 'veteran' in the Nightmare Space; although I'm not afraid of her, ordinary creatures don't possess her unique characteristics.
"Please defeat the enemy first."

"All right,"

The slender and beautiful red-haired woman turned around and pointed at a 'Deep Diver'.

"Bang!"

The beautiful woman parted her red lips slightly and playfully made a shooting gesture, accompanied by a sound.

Bang! !

Almost at the same time,

The wounded 'Deep Diver' suddenly swelled up, and after reaching its limit, its flesh and blood exploded, smearing its companions all over.

???

"The second one,"

"Bang!"

As the girl turned her finger...

The second 'Deep Diver' she pointed to immediately swelled into a ball, then exploded into a shower of blood!
The third one

"Retreat! Retreat!!"

This scene caused the "favored one" dressed in a "chef's uniform" to change his expression drastically, and he turned and ran without hesitation.

It's not that he's afraid of dying, okay? He finally gained superpowers, and he died inexplicably. Nobody would be willing to accept that. The other party's ability was too strange. He could make people disappear without a trace with a wave of his hand. It was more terrifying than the priests' 'malicious transformation magic'.

This temporary retreat is for the purpose of better serving the church.
Intelligence on these enemies,
Someone has to send it back!

With the appearance of an unknown and powerful enemy, and having lost more than half of their forces, the remaining 'Deep Divers' and 'Favored Ones' no longer hesitated and dived into the water, taking their companions' corpses with them.

"So, how did you manage to provoke these superhumans?"

The enemy decisively retreated, leaving only the dazed waiter, the "favored one".

Fiora, who had come to 'do the task', walked up to the waiter 'monster' while happily listening to the 'gained 300 points' notification in her mind.

"This task is way too easy,"

"Let me help you read the other side's information."

The 'Vampire Enhancement' she redeemed not only allows her to manipulate other people's blood to self-destruct, but also grants her numerous mental abilities.

Using illusions to read memories
The vast Cthulhu Church, the enigmatic and mysterious Lady of Wien, believers throughout America, and subversion—

'Warning! The veteran 'Priest' has come into contact with the existence of a hidden force!'

'Warning! The veteran 'Priest' has been exposed to a clandestine organization's plan!'

This clandestine force is hostile to the Nightmare Space!

'A real-world task is now being issued to all experienced players:'

'Stop the expansion of clandestine forces!'

Mission 1: Ensure the survival of the American commander.

Hey?
The red-haired girl, who had only intended to do someone a favor casually, was stunned on the spot.

It seems I've started some incredible mission?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I have a cold and am feeling a bit groggy.
(End of this chapter)