T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 659-658. There's a ghost!

When Bertrand was taken away by the guards, an eerie silence filled the room.

No one pleaded for him, and no one spoke up to defend him.

The royal family members present wore expressions of appropriate surprise, but their eyes betrayed a tacit schadenfreude.

Bertrand's popularity has always been extremely poor, so this situation of being "abandoned by everyone" did not surprise Kurien.

However, not a single person uttered a word, not even a symbolic or perfunctory plea based on the most basic brotherhood...

This chilling indifference sent a shiver down Kurien's spine.

He looked around at his children, who bore his blood, as if they were a pack of strange hyenas.

He was the Lion King, and his offspring, though few, carried the blood of lions.

After asking the remaining children what they were thinking, he waved goodbye to the "guests" without any hesitation.

Back home, Sloan asked Alna to tell him what had just happened at the boundary between reality and illusion.

Alna relayed Fries' comments after hearing about the matter.

“You two don’t look like brothers and sisters, you look more like… enemies.”

This overly sharp and direct criticism left Sloan speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

The next morning, the news that "Bertrand has been placed under house arrest for allegedly assaulting Sloan" spread like wildfire throughout the great nobility.

Some nobles who were still connected with the Bertrand faction tried to subtly probe Kurien and his associates for information.

The response was either ambiguous or harsh rebuke.

This evasive attitude only reinforced the outside world's belief that Bertrand had been caught red-handed and that the evidence against him was irrefutable.

However, Bertrand, who was under house arrest in a side hall, continued to shout that he was innocent and staged the most intense protest by going on a hunger strike.

For an entire day, all the food delivered to his door was overturned and thrown out onto the corridor, untouched.

"Since Father is unwilling to even ask, why not just tell Falling Star Sea that I was the mastermind behind the Giza incident and the attack on Sloan!"

He roared at the closed door, his voice hoarse from weakness.

"If I die, all the problems will be solved!"

You can hear Bertrand's resentment towards Curryn in his voice.

He kept his word, going on a hunger strike with extraordinary determination, refusing even water.

Meanwhile, the second round of discussions between the virtual and real boundaries and the Anna nobles concluded.

As rumors circulated about Bertrand assassinating Sloan, some nobles, while still chanting the slogan that the siren was the assassin, were no longer as decisive and forceful as they had been the first time.

Compared to the chaotic and unreasonable arguments of the first meeting, the increase in onlookers is a good thing for the boundary between reality and illusion. They can finally use their verbal skills to silence some stubborn nobles.

Bertrand's house arrest finally broke through the tight-lipped barrier the nobles were trying to break, and the topic was once again drawn to the handling of Giza.

A difficult step.

They only have 15 days left.

At this very moment, Jingxin's mobilization of the sea creatures has begun.

Kesha had reported the progress of the meeting to her, and she remained very calm after the latest results came out.

"Leave the capital ahead of time," she instructed Kesha in a message, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger. "You can go anywhere, but do not set foot on Anna's territory for the time being."

"Go do what you like with Potato, and come back when everything settles down."

Jingxin no longer had any hope for this negotiation.

The nobles of Anna showed no sincerity, and Kurien failed to demonstrate his former boldness; the entire empire was lifeless and apathetic.

She concluded that continuing the conversation would only result in excuses and delays.

This is tantamount to a further insult to the dignity of Falling Star Sea.

She's losing patience.

“Tell Kurien for me, “If you can’t control those people, let me handle it.” Jingxin said.

"Falling Star Sea has given us the opportunity to negotiate. What we can't get at the negotiating table, Falling Star Sea will definitely get back outside the negotiating table."

"Hopefully Anna is ready."

When Jiang Heyi relayed the message, Wick in the study was reporting to Kurien the unusual activity observed in the coastal city-state.

The siren clans around Anna have shown signs of migrating.

Many large and medium-sized siren tribes sent 100 to 200 elite soldiers to join forces with the Fallen Star Sea.

Due to the sea closure order imposed by the sirens, fishermen who used to fish in the waters near Falling Star Sea have now caught almost nothing.

The sea creatures skillfully drove and guided the schools of fish toward the deep sea, away from Anna's territorial waters.

Today, dozens of city-states along the southeastern coast of Anna that rely on fishing are facing a shortage of seafood.

Moreover, the mages of the Mage Tower made estimations based on the abnormal flow of magic in the ocean and came to a chilling conclusion.

In a very short period of time, the number of sea creatures gathered in the area surrounding Falling Star Sea increased more than tenfold.

As Kurien listened to Wick's report, he dejectedly put his hand to his forehead, his face filled with undisguised exhaustion and heaviness.

The elite forces of the Mage Tower have already begun to assemble in the coastal city-states.

Coastal residents, feeling the pressure, are frantically packing their bags and fleeing toward the ruling center.

In less than two days, the panic spread to the capital.

Even so, the noisy nobles in the capital were still convinced that Jingxin was just putting on an act.

Their argument was that Jingxin had recruited countless sea creatures to aid in the war, a cunning act of completely unwilling to sacrifice her own elite forces, indicating that she had no courage to bear the losses of starting a war.

Kurien wished he had half the optimism of these idiots.

Bertrand's hunger strike has now entered its fourth day.

Wick knocked him unconscious and forced him to drink some liquid food, but he vomited it all up after Wick left.

His desire to die was exceptionally resolute.

Bertrand was known for his stubbornness from a young age.

He was proud and valued dignity more than life itself.

Kurien's immediate trial and execution of the slander, without listening to any rebuttal, shattered his hopes for his father and family ties, leaving him with no room for further futile explanations.

If it weren't for the forced administration of a magic potion to maintain his minimum vitality and deprive him of the strength to end his own life, Bertrand would already be a cold corpse given his current state of mind.

Jiang Heyi couldn't help but sigh.

Is the inertia of history really that heavy?
For three years, they have clearly made almost every right choice, doing their utmost to pave the way to a perfect ending.

Even mistakes made a century ago were corrected at this moment.

They were so close.

Does the land and the sea necessarily have to go to war?

……

……

The night was deep, and apart from the regular footsteps of the patrolling guards, Prince Sloan's residence was reassuring.

Everything has already sunk into a dream.

The silver moon hangs high, its cool light filtering through the stained glass windows and casting dappled shadows on the stone slabs of the corridor.

Sloan stepped through the silence, like a thief carrying a secret, and silently pushed open the door to that hidden room.

However, the moment he stepped into the dark room, the sight before him almost made him scream.

Alna was currently floating gracefully in mid-air, defying gravity. Her translucent spirit form glowed faintly as she intently and unblinkingly "admired" his private collections that he never showed to anyone.
"Your tastes... are truly diverse."

As a spirit, Alna can easily penetrate thick walls and reach the dark room.

Since getting to know Brother Jailer, all the precious articles I've been commissioned to write have been on full display.

Sloan blushed and hurriedly covered the beautiful girls of various races with canvases, as if draping them in a soft garment to shield them from Alna's burning gaze.

"Sigh, I haven't finished enjoying it yet."

Sloan swallowed hard and said awkwardly, "Anyway, the jailer can draw. Just watch him draw."

“That won’t do. Appreciating art in a collector’s home is a different experience,” Alna said earnestly. “When I used to buy paintings by great artists like Deville, I felt that the atmosphere was different when I appreciated them in a gallery versus at home.”

How can you even talk about artistic conception here!

Sloan pulled out a concentrated essence of grass element from his pocket, stood on tiptoe, and waved it in front of Alna as if offering a tribute.

Since spirits cannot eat normally, these kinds of small items full of magic and elemental power are their favorites.

"Okay, okay, I'm not watching anymore."

Alna held the elemental essence and began to suck it in, her body flickering between light and dark, like a light bulb with unstable voltage.

Perhaps because they were spirits, not living people, Sloan and Alna communicated very smoothly and without any barriers. They mostly said whatever came to mind, and there were no taboos about any topic.

However, tonight's adventure in the dark room was still a bit too much for me.

Sloan isn't a jailer; he can't stand in front of erotic pictures and talk fluently to women.

No sooner had he left the dark room than a little squirrel scurried up and jumped onto his shoulder—the magic messenger had arrived.

"Who?" Alna asked, somewhat wary.

"Hey jailer," Sloan said helplessly, "the new drawing I requested seems to be ready..."

Alna immediately perked up: "New erotic pictures? Have them sent over right away."

"They've been under constant surveillance, making delivery impossible. Besides, have you forgotten why you were assigned to my side?"

"True." Alna pursed her lips. "Then let's go, I'll go steal you some midnight snacks... By the way, are you going to use them tonight?"

"Don't ask!"

Sloan made no attempt to conceal his presence. As he left through the main gate, the captain of the guard nervously inquired whether he should take a few more personal guards with him.

After being repeatedly rejected, he could only nervously refrain from offering any further suggestions.

With Alna's help, Sloan, having left the manor, soon arrived near his residence on the border between the real and virtual worlds.

Those eyes that were secretly watching might be able to deceive magicians of the same rank, but they could not deceive Alna, who had already become a ghost.

Sloan lowered his voice: "We've been found out?"

“No, it’s a very strange feeling.” Alna frowned. “Our senses felt like water flowing over us, then suddenly receding… as if it was deliberately ignoring us.”

As she spoke, she shielded Sloan behind her and suspended the Gorcalon Life Box, which sustained the spirit's existence, in front of her chest.

"Suddenly I can't sense that person's presence anymore, and I can't even track them... What amazing stealth techniques."

Before he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
The night wind suddenly stopped, and even the chirping of insects fell silent in an instant. The moonlight was swallowed by the churning clouds, and the entire alleyway was plunged into deathly darkness.

Just as Alna finished speaking...

"laugh!"

Without warning, a black light shot out from the shadows of the trees not far away, trailed by the moonlight!

The light twisted like a living thing, pointing straight at Sloan's throat.

That was too fast! So fast that there wasn't even time to react!
Alna's spirit burst forth with a blinding silver light in an instant.

The Gorcalon Life Box spun wildly in front of her chest, unfolding a shield as thin as a cicada's wing.

"clang!"

The sound of the impact on the shield was not like metal, but rather like the piercing sound of shattering glass.

The shield shattered instantly, and Alna's spirit body trembled violently, yet she remained unharmed.

"Ok?"

In the darkness, several confused voices rang out, but they reacted swiftly, closing in and continuing to point their swords at Sloan.

"boom!"

The Gorcalon Life Box crashed to the ground like a boulder, producing a deafening explosion that echoed throughout the silent night.

"Quickly finish this!" the attacker shouted.

This place is close to the boundary between reality and illusion; in less than 10 seconds, a master will appear.

They were fully aware of this, yet they still risked everything to continue the attack, showing no fear of death!
The spirit trapped in the life box roared out, pounced and coiled around several assassins in the darkness, gnawing at their flesh and causing the scarlet flowers in the darkness to bloom in fury.

The assassin, writhing in pain, trembled violently. With a slight jerk of his hand, the deadly black lights grazed past Sloan's body and neck.

The strong wind it generated drew streaks of blood on Sloan's skin.

He could clearly feel the cold touch of death brushing past him.

"Are you treating me like I don't exist?!"

"I failed to protect anyone..."

"Everyone is dead..."

"I want you all to die too!"

Suddenly, the hazy halo around Alna's body vanished.

Her mangled, dying body was revealed, and the horrifying, tragic death sent shivers down the spines of every assassin who met her empty, dark eyes.

Sloan suddenly remembered Jiang Heyi's instructions.

"Alna might become a little unstable after seeing blood, so keep a little distance."

The next second, he understood the meaning of those words.

Alna coiled around the assassin like a giant python, splitting his jaws in two, his head splitting open, and his gaping maw biting down hard on the assassin's neck.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

At this moment, Alna was no longer elegant at all; like a bloodthirsty beast, she tore at him violently.

"Hey!"

With her throat severed, Alna ripped the assassin's head off with a vengeance, holding it in her mouth with a fierce glint in her eyes.

Even the highly trained assassins were terrified by this scene.

They had witnessed countless bloody scenes, and many of them had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood before gaining the approval of that lord.

But now, their ferocity and bravery are not even a fraction of the girl before them.

She was closing in, her mouth holding the head and making strange "gurgling" sounds.

For a moment, they even forgot about targeting Sloan.

The scroll he held in his hand was also soaked with sweat.

In a split second, the opportunity was lost.

"You guys actually took the bait!"

Jiang Heyi's voice was filled with excitement and disbelief.

Plata is right.

The incredible skill of someone who can make one mistake lead to a series of mistakes truly exists!

(End of this chapter)