T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 653, Section 652: Unpack all the Sages of the Apocalypse!
Throughout the journey, Jiang Heyi's mind was in a state of constant turmoil.

What would the assassin's purpose be?
Killing the Giza nobles, who couldn't control their lust, could be understood as an internal purge of the nobility.

After all, many nobles were worried that Kurien, who was known for his impartiality, might change his attitude and use this as a pretext to begin his long-cherished attempt to reclaim power.

The idea that the dead are more useful than the living is something that some of the Anna nobles would likely agree with.

However, from any rational perspective, targeting Prince Sloan for assassination would not benefit the current stable situation on the continent in the slightest.

The nobles of Anna generally have an ambiguous attitude towards the sirens. They are never stingy with their verbal "want," but once the topic of confrontation comes up, their rhetoric immediately becomes "Let's sit down and talk."

No one truly wants to risk their life. Once the war begins, it will inevitably create new channels for advancement, and a new noble group that will be firmly controlled by Kurien will rise accordingly.

The rise of the new elite often means the ruthless purge and marginalization of the old vested interest groups.

"We can't go to war!"

This is a consensus among almost all old aristocratic families.

Once war breaks out, Kurien will inevitably take advantage of the situation to greatly expand the channels for advancement, and they will have no choice but to bow down due to the circumstances.

If things really come to that, how will these old-school forces maintain their existing wealth and status?

The impoverished nobles of Giza who dared to take the risk of drugging the siren shared a common background: their families were declining and they were trying to profit from the chaos.

No noble patriarch whose mind has not been completely corrupted by alcohol and potions would have any reason to ignite a war that could destroy their own foundation.

But if it wasn't to provoke a war between the Fallen Star Sea and the terrestrial species, then the assassination could only be aimed at Sloan, Giza, and them.

In the normal storyline, whether Giza lives or dies is a point of contention among the nobles, so there's no reason to rush to execute him.

After thinking it over, I realized I was after Sloan after all.

The more Jiang Heyi thought about it, the more his scalp tingled.

History has introduced variables that are unknown to and beyond their control. If they cannot find the hidden force behind the scenes, even if the Fallen Star Sea does not declare war, Anna will be pushed along and become an expansionist empire once again.

The expansion and reclamation that Kurien had halted for nearly a century, once resumed, would be a major war involving all of Anna.

French Fries hit the nail on the head: "This guy seems very clever. He chose a delicate moment to ignite all sorts of conflicts in Anna at once. Whether he succeeds or fails, he can create a huge uproar."

Jiang Heyi nodded: "It doesn't matter that Sloan isn't dead; what matters is the fact that someone attacked him."

The Wolf Queen bore only two children for Kurion: Prince Sloan, the third prince, and Prince Enrique, the fifth prince.

Kurien doted on them.

Enrique, the source of chaos, did all sorts of outrageous things but didn't die because he had the blood of the Queen of Wolves flowing through his veins.

If she had a different mother, she would have died a thousand times over.

The attack on Sloan will also trigger Kurien's sensitive nerves, and the previously relatively stable situation in the Empire is being accelerated.

"Who...who is accelerating the progress of the Anna Continent?" Jiang Heyi sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Inside the carriage, Prince Sloan appeared unusually calm, even attempting to conceal his inner turmoil by drinking water.

However, the uncontrollable, slightly trembling hands he held when holding the water glass completely betrayed his feigned composure.

"They're all...dead?" This was the second time he had asked the same question, his voice hoarse.

After receiving another affirmative reply from Orange Tea, the last glimmer of light in his eyes dimmed, and his expression turned ashen.

Sloan's dozen or so bodyguards were all killed in the incident.

Two bodyguards reacted quickly and risked their lives to shield their loved ones from the bullets.

The others were caught in the magical wave before they could react.

Perhaps influenced by the Wolf Queen, his personal guards are a diverse group, mostly recruited from adventurers, with a small number being elites from the academy.

In fact, if Jiang Heyi were to give his opinion, the adventurers Sloan picked up were of rather average quality, since his activities were basically limited to the imperial ruling center.

In this region, there are far more speculative adventurers than those with real skills.

However, the fact that the two who took the bullets at the critical moment were insignificant, weak adventurers in the eyes of ordinary nobles already speaks volumes.

You can say they're bad at the game, but you can't say they lack professionalism.

There's no way to criticize Sloan for having a worse eye for talent than Kurion, because the people he chose made their final vote with their lives on it.

Jiang Heyi asked, "Have you offended anyone?"

Sloan shook his head blankly.

It's normal to be clueless. Given his status and position, even if people are dissatisfied with him, they won't show obvious hostility.

Upon landing in the capital, Kurien immediately went to the scene.

After carefully examining Sloan's physical condition, he choked up slightly and gently squeezed Sloan's uninjured shoulder.

His gaze drifted toward the group at the boundary between reality and illusion. He swallowed the words he wanted to say and nodded slightly.

"Come with me."

Deep inside the palace, in Kurion's study, a maid had already laid out a feast of refreshing refreshments.

After taking his seat, Kurien's first words were...

"Thank you."

Kurien set aside his identity as emperor and spoke sincerely as a father.

"It's nothing, just buy a few more erotic pictures so I can make some money."

What was originally a somewhat serious and heavy conversation became lively once the prison guard started talking.

Jiang Heyi was still thinking about how to respond, but now he didn't need to think anymore. Sloan, who had just sat down, was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do.

Kurien was speechless: "I will give you the corresponding reward."

"I don't want that. It has to be a commissioned piece to get the feel for it," the jailer insisted earnestly.

"..."

Jiang Heyi made a gesture, and Orange Tea immediately covered the prison guard's mouth.

"Your Majesty, the news cannot be kept secret for long. If the nobles in Anna use this as an excuse to try to erase what Giza did, then Falling Star Sea will indeed escalate its countermeasures, and war will soon break out."

After the attack, Giza and his men insisted that it was the work of the siren, which makes it hard to say whether they were truly foolish.

After all, the longer the real culprit remains unidentified in the Sloan attack, the more opportunities there are for people to exploit the situation.

What is the attitude of "Falling Star Sea"?

"Giza and the others must die."

Wick's eyes narrowed, and he couldn't help but look at the silent Kurien.

Jiang Heyi continued, "If they can escape punishment simply because of a weak and declining noble title, then the troubles of the Fallen Star Siren will be endless. Jingxin doesn't want the siren to live in such an environment, so Giza must die, no question about it."

A silence spread through the room, and after a while, Kurien's sigh broke the heavy atmosphere.

"I understand. You all go and rest first. I will give Jingxin a satisfactory answer regarding this matter."

Wick handed over the address of the accommodations at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds to the inner guards, personally saw everyone out, and then returned to his study.

At this moment, Kuryn is asking Sloan for details of the attack.

The more detailed Sloan's explanation, the more horrified Kurin and Wick became.

Having escaped the boundary between reality and illusion, the scene left few useful clues, and they also possessed a high-level offensive scroll at the level of a mage tower.

All of this demonstrates that the mastermind behind the scenes commands a group of assassins specializing in stealth and surprise attacks.

Perhaps out of fear of the boundary between reality and illusion, or perhaps due to some unexpected situation, they refrained from delivering a further blow; otherwise, Sloan would surely have died on the spot. "The Empire actually has such a group of people..." Kurien's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Interesting."

He paused, took a deep breath, and said, "You should go back and rest too."

Sloan also left, leaving only Lion King and Wick in the room once again.

"What do you think?"

Wick said, "At this point, it's unclear whether the attack was aimed at Sloan or Giza; it could be a smokescreen to avoid being traced back to its true intentions."

Kurien nodded, agreeing with the assessment.

"What if it's specifically targeting Sloan?"

Wick suddenly fell silent.

Kurien understood immediately and let out another deep sigh.

"Let's deal with the Falling Star Sea issue first. Potato is right, if things continue like this, Anna will really fall into chaos."

Just like in the game, after many twists and turns, the group returned to the familiar manor at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds.

The only difference this time was that there were no bodyguards protecting the area.

This is Kurien's recognition of their combat strength.

The brainstorming session on the boundary between virtual and real life began the moment everyone checked in.

Jiang Heyi's mind was racing; he needed some external processors to assist with the calculations.

After much thought, everyone still couldn't figure out who could truly benefit from this matter.

The chaos across the continent will benefit only the newly emerging noble groups who are dissatisfied with the monopoly of the old aristocracy.

This group is mainly composed of the young and middle-aged members of the academy. They are dissatisfied with the magical families taking advantage of their historical heritage and status, and are eager for an opportunity to leap into the upper class of the Anar people, rather than the middle and lower-class nobles.

To snatch chestnuts from the fire, to wage war for a chance at promotion.

They certainly had the motives and reasons to cultivate a group of elites, and even to personally carry out assassinations.

But the risks of fighting the sirens are enormous. Is it really worth it?

Kurien is getting old. They're betting on the princes for a chance, so why are they in such a hurry to get on the table?
The more I thought about it, the more puzzled I became.

At this moment, Hagiron, who had sneaked in quietly, offered a new direction for thought.

"Could it be that one of your so-called apocalyptic sages has awakened?"

Everyone's attention quickly focused on Jiang Heyi, except for Mint's mother, who was unaware of the truth, who looked left and right.

"What is a wise man of the last days? Who is a wise man of the last days? It seems like you all know, but I don't understand."

French Fries and Jiang Heyi exchanged a glance.

"At this point in time, it's time for Mint's mother to know the truth."

The more Mint listened, the wider her mouth opened.

Finally, she pointed to herself, then to Elaevi.

"Me, Hagiron, and Renee... are all sages of the apocalypse?"

Jiang Heyi nodded: "You are all special individuals who can realize the end of the world early in the cycle. In each cycle, you will try to save the world in advance, but without exception, you have all failed."

The amount of information was overwhelming. After listening, Mint's mother slumped into her soft chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Hajilong turned his gaze to Jiang Heyi again.

"What do you think?"

"We can't rule out the possibility you mentioned, but what about the motive?"

Hakiron said, "He woke up early and planned to save the world in his own way. His first plan was to start a war."

Cuttlefish couldn't hold back any longer: "Well, he's quite creative. The great war between Anna and the Fallen Star Sea was a turning point in history. Instead of stepping on the brakes, he's flooring the gas pedal. What, does he think the scale of the war isn't big enough? Does he want to watch a big fireworks display and drag the entire continent into it for a massive battle?"

He stroked his chin in bed and said, "Magnetic field audience, since the world is doomed anyway, the first thing to do when awakening in the cycle is to guide history in a direction that will explode."

Orange Tea glanced thoughtfully at the jailer: "Since you've already given up on yourself, why not just watch the show?"

The jailer hurriedly explained, "What are you doing? Most people who enjoy themselves would try something like this, don't think of us as so evil!"

Cuttlefish quipped, "We usually don't proactively claim to be funny people, only you like to call yourself that..."

"That's a novel idea."

"Huh?" The jailer was stunned. "What do you mean? You really agree with this guess?"

"At least it can explain why someone would want to kill Sloan and Giza in this matter. If it were another apocryphal figure manipulating history and trying to correct it to what he believes is the right path, then it could be understood from a 'rational' perspective."

“Otherwise…” Jiang Heyi spread his hands, “You tell me, who benefits from killing Sloan at the Siren’s doorstep? The risks and rewards are not proportional.”

As Henilakai helped his companions crack nuts, he muttered, "So, how many apocalyptic sages are there in all of Anna?"

"Including Mint Mom, Renee, Hagi Long, Kesha, and Jingxin, there are 14 in total."

Elsa counted on her fingers: "Listen, they're all women?"

Jiang Heyi said casually, "The remaining nine are either male or genderless life forms, and there is one that can change its gender and reproduce independently."

As he spoke, he took out paper and pen and wrote down the names of the nine apocalyptic sages on the scroll, along with their likely locations at the current time.

The onlookers marveled at this, thinking that no wonder the ruler had chosen him; he could cramm so much information into his head without getting confused.

In just a short while, he had opened all the boxes of the Doomsday Sage.

"Come and claim yours, do you know any of them?"

In truth, Jiang Heyi's brain was completely muddled; he had absolutely no desire to use his brain to recall the relationships between the characters.

Things are spiraling out of control, requiring him to expend more energy to figure out how to resolve the current chaos. A slight misstep could render all his efforts in this cycle futile.

"Don't let me find out who interfered, I'll kill you!" He was seething with rage, gritting his teeth.

“Betan the Lightless, isn’t that the Dark Element Master from the Mage Tower?” Mint Mom was the first to recognize one.

"Miaomiaomiao... What kind of weird name is this?" Gloria couldn't help but complain, "Who would give someone a name with four homophones?"

Kesha's forehead was sweating.

"This is...this seems to be a scholar from the Silk Bell Sea Clan near our Fallen Star Sea?"

"what?"

"Does anyone really have such a name?"

Jiang Heyi calmly said, "It is the sage of the apocalypse who can change its own gender and reproduce independently."

"???"

"???"

"If I remember correctly, after the apocalypse was confirmed, in order to speed up the process of saving the world, it bred a bunch of weakened children to assist."

Golovin was intrigued: "What race is so amazing?"

"It seems to be called Soft Touch here in Anna, but judging from its shape, we call it Sea Slug."

Of the nine people, only two were claimed.

“It will probably take another two or three days for public opinion to ferment. Hajiron, why don’t you lead the way for a while?” Jiang Heyi said. “Let’s first confirm that these apocalyptic sages haven’t turned into entertainers and destroyed the world.”

(End of this chapter)