Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 312, Page 59: The Breakthrough Begins

Strangely enough, as Nobita witnessed more and more of the human condition, he began to understand Iwasaki to some extent.

But if the logic of 'I suffer, so I should make the world suffer' holds true, it would be too unfair to those who are living good lives.

Nobi couldn't do much, as he was no match for Iwasaki at the moment. He could only try to subtly influence him through his actions.

This was also Asano-senpai's suggestion.

Since meeting Asano Hiroshi last time, Nobi has agreed to the other party's request for assistance.

She also told him about some of her more difficult problems.

After learning about the ideological conflict between Nobi and Iwasaki, Asano advised him to abandon the idea of ​​using force to restrict the other party.

"Given the elusive nature of the demonic mist, killing anyone would be effortless for him, but now he's primarily targeting villains, indicating that he still hopes to maintain the overall stability of human society."

"For beings with extraordinary abilities, they cannot be simply bound by human morality and laws. You should understand this; even some powerful people may not be able to restrain these ethereal things."

"What is most worrying is that the demonic mist has suddenly developed a kind of obsession with destroying human society. You have to admit that many people in our country are prone to extreme thinking or are obsessed with some grand idea that they believe can achieve some kind of 'peace,' 'harmony,' or 'purification.'"

"Therefore, before we have the strength to completely confront them, my only advice is to cooperate if it is advantageous, give way a little, and subtly demonstrate our thoughts and actions as much as possible."

"After all, in the face of absolute power, wisdom often plays a less significant role than people imagine."

Nobita deeply agreed with what Asano Hiroshi said, and for this reason, he took the initiative to stop the vegetable-stealing battle with Iwasaki in Peach Blossom Village.

Hopefully, this collaboration will have some impact on Iwasaki.

At least, it will make him hesitate for 0.1 seconds more before stabbing an ordinary person in the future.

"Let's talk about it right here."

The three left Whitechapel Park and came to the roof of a house. There were many flowers and plants on it, as well as a set of tables and chairs. It was clear that the person who decorated it loved life very much.

Iwasaki habitually hid in the shadows of the corner, his gaze fixed on Nobita.

Taki gently protected a cluster of aster flowers, preventing them from swaying and losing petals as they fell.

Nobita paused briefly, gathering his thoughts: "In the vision I saw near the altar at Whitechapel, there was a priest and a short man whose face I couldn't see."

He meticulously recounted every detail, from the conversation between the pastor and the man to the man's soliloquy and the specifics of the scene.

While speaking, he also compiled the information and sent it to Uesugi.

"A man? Or a boy?" Iwasaki asked again to confirm.

“A man.” Nobita nodded firmly.

Although the person was rather short, his voice and mannerisms made it difficult to classify him as a boy.

"Since the node was activated at the Whitechapel ruins, it means our strategy is correct. This time, the opponent we need to fight is Jack the Ripper. And in real history, he even served as a prospective clergyman at Whitechapel?"

Taki looked at Nobi with a slight puzzlement.

"He shouldn't be a priest; he just seems like a servant to me." Nobita shook his head.

Churches do indeed employ long-term or short-term servants to perform miscellaneous tasks that clergy members are unwilling to do, such as maintenance, cleaning, and ringing bells.

After a brief discussion, the group went their separate ways, agreeing to meet again later in the player lobby to analyze the clues.

Taki looked in the direction where Iwasaki had disappeared, the same place she wanted to go—the spot where the body had been found.

However, there are more than one such location; there are five in total. Local authorities have placed plaques or ground markings at each location, and she had also checked the locations in advance.

If you have enough time, you can also download an app to recreate the environment of 1888 using AR.

Those who experienced it back then probably never imagined that the terrible incident that caused them such panic would become part of the tourism industry today, supporting many people.

The principle of "the poor first help the rich later" applies here.

Avoiding Iwasaki's direction, she found one of the murder sites, activated the crystal, and nothing happened, indicating that this was not a key point.

Crystal went into cooldown mode, found a safe place, let her clone AFK, and her main body entered the player lobby.

Upon entering the conference room, she immediately looked towards Iwasaki, but unfortunately, Iwasaki's image in the hall was completely obscured by darkness, and it was impossible to tell from his expression whether he had made any progress.

"We can now be fairly certain that the boss of our game is Jack the Ripper, which means he has survived to this day. Our initial suspicion is that, like the manor owner, he achieved immortality through a specific item."

"The manor owner is suspected to be a member of the Knights Templar, and this game may also be related to the Knights."

"We have now activated the first key node, and it is a node that can be activated repeatedly. Everyone is clear about the clues."

"Alan Cross is most likely the real name of the Ripper. I'll leave this to Taki, Hayato, and Yui. You guys have the authorities investigate and see if there are any more clues."

"Judging from his brief experience, he was at the bottom of society, working as a servant in Whitechapel. His words revealed that he wanted to get into medical school, but his aptitude was poor, and it was estimated that he would have a hard time getting in."

He also mentioned "a voice always in his ear," which could very well be the trigger for his encounter with the supernatural.

"That's all the clues we have so far. What are your thoughts?"

Since it's a historical reenactment based on Nobita's own experiences, he's the one who starts the story.

“I activated the crystal at the crime scene on Durance Street, but there was no response,” Taki added.

“Not on George Street either.” Iwasaki’s voice came from the black mist.

At this point, Uesugi marked the locations of the five victims and the Whitechapel on the whiteboard in the conference room, adding notes based on the players' clues to make it easier for everyone to understand.

“Since there are no locations for the two victims, then these places shouldn’t be considered key nodes,” Uesugi pondered. “Otherwise, key nodes would be too cheap. My guess is that each ritual has only one key point, and the next key point will only become clear and be activated after the ritual is completed.”

This is indeed a common game strategy for Uesugi.

Most players agree, and based on past experience, following the game's logic is generally the right approach.

Hayato, however, shook his head, seemingly having some insightful opinion.

“Since there are many of us, wouldn’t it be more reassuring to eliminate each one?” he said.

There's a kind of aesthetic of overwhelming firepower, like "we have plenty of shells, so let's fire them all."

Lu Du raised his hand: "That's right, I agree! Old man, we must make good use of the process of elimination. The devil is in the details, and the master is in the small things!"

This sounds like something out of an essay.

“Ahem, Hayato is right. So Hayato, you’ll be in charge of activating the crystals on Lix Street, Ludu, you’ll be in charge of Bishop Square, and I’ll be in charge of Dorset Street.”

Since there's a cooldown period, it's best to activate it as soon as possible.

Yui also joined in, probably because she was afraid they would keep the information to themselves.

As expected, all attempts to activate the devices failed.

Five big X's appeared on the whiteboard. "Speaking of which, why did Tian go online for a while and then go offline again? We still can't contact him." Uesugi, who had led a few people around London, looked a bit tired. He returned to the meeting room and looked around, but still couldn't find Tian. "And even when he went online, he didn't even bother to tidy up that vegetable garden that's been sitting there for so long. He's too laid-back."

"It might be a lingering effect from last time."

As a witness to the Florida incident, Takii could feel the terrifying power of the fused monster being torn apart. It was probably because she overdrawn this power that she had become completely silent during this period.

Commonly known as licking a wound.

After all five murder scenes were ruled out, the meeting moved into its second phase.

"Since the clues mention medical school and dating, which correspond to knowledge and love respectively, the disaster caused by the first ritual should be related to these two."

"Hayato's thinking is sound. The victims are all women, which may actually be related to him. The police couldn't find any historical records because of two reasons: first, the limited criminal investigation technology at the time, and second, the Ripper had just begun to master supernatural powers."

"I have read the information. Among the five victims, only the last one was relatively young, and he also died the most tragically and ritualistically. His heart and uterus were removed, which fits the logic of love turning into hatred."

"I suggest that we split into two teams: one team will focus on knowledge, investigating medical school information, and the other team will focus on love, digging out information about the victims."

Iwasaki finished giving his suggestions in one breath, then looked calmly at Taki.

Taki didn't say whether she agreed or disagreed, but instead looked at Nobi.

“Okay, time waits for no one, let’s start dividing up the tasks now.” Nobi agreed with Iwasaki’s statement, looking at each person one by one, already having an idea for the team division.

"Taki, Shima, and I are in charge of the medical school's investigation; Tsuki, Hayato, and Rudo are in charge of the investigation of the five victims and possible more undisclosed victims."

Nobita didn't arrange for Iwasaki and Yui to be together, and Iwasaki wouldn't accept his arrangement; their cooperative relationship was equal.

Since we've split into two teams, Iwasaki can decide which teams to join based on the situation.

Tian's online schedule is too unpredictable, so it will not be scheduled for the time being.

Uesugi's expression was slightly off; she was stiff. She had just taken Hayato and Rudu on a trip—one a somewhat obedient but clueless brute, the other a curious child who asked all sorts of questions and couldn't even read road signs. And now she was telling me she had directly locked onto them?!

She can't handle it!
"Can I switch teams with 'Moon'?" Just as she was hesitating whether to tactfully bring up the difficulty, Taki suddenly said.

Nobita paused for a moment, then nodded: "Sure, what about you, Yue?"

"I have no problem, meow—cough cough!" Uesugi's eyes practically sparkled with gratitude.

She announced that she would now also be a member of Takii's fan club.

Takimon, live on!

The meeting concluded, and after agreeing on a daily debriefing time, the players began to take action according to their assigned tasks.

First, Taki made a phone call to Leon.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Muramasa. Has the new game been updated?"

Today marks exactly one month since the Silver Cup Manor game began, so Leon naturally knows about it.

Based on the information revealed earlier, the longest game will be given a month.

In fact, both Japan and America have departments that specialize in handling extraordinary matters, and they are ready to welcome new games at any time.

Japan has more experience in this regard, having conducted in-depth research on Silver Cup Manor.

“This game is a little different.” Taki glanced at the countdown; there were still more than sixty hours until the first round of the ceremony.

"what?"

Leon's expression gradually froze on the other end of the phone.

After one hour.

The Vice President and Leon boarded a special plane, accompanied by elites from the Security Service, for an impromptu visit to Britain.

Japan's Emergency Situations Department declared a state of emergency and quickly assembled an elite investigation team, which then flew to London.

France seemed to have caught wind of this and deployed a large number of diplomats and agents, with both overt and covert surveillance teams stationed near Downing Street and Whitehall.

Unfortunately, they were too late. The British Prime Minister had already left his official residence and secretly went to a house in the western suburbs of London to meet Vice President Aramco and his entourage who had arrived in haste.

“So, what you mean, Your Excellency Collins,” Prime Minister Rainer said with a strange expression, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the idol-level supernatural being whom Amy had always kept under tight guard—Muramasa Taki, who was now standing right in front of him, “is that Britain is about to face a supernatural catastrophe, and not just one round?”

Collins's expression was grave: "Your Excellency, as staunch historical allies, we do not joke about such matters."

Reina forced a smile. "Please forgive my lapse in composure, but this news is truly shocking. I need to convene an emergency meeting immediately and meet with His Majesty the King." He put down his teacup, trying to conceal his inner turmoil.

Collins looked at Taki.

"Sixty hours left," Taki said, giving a timeframe.

Collins turned back: "Time is of the essence. We need to investigate the impending disaster to understand its location, target, and even weaknesses. For this, our operatives need your urgent authorization and full cooperation."

"The President deeply values ​​the friendship between our two countries, which is why he sent us here to provide support without any regard for profit. After all, every second of delay could result in more casualties."

By the time your Great Britain finishes its meeting, the superhumans will have already ruled the Earth.

Renamo remained silent; he took Collins's words with a grain of salt, as a seasoned veteran, he naturally wouldn't believe them.

However, the fact that only a few hours passed between receiving the notification and their arrival proves that they arrived urgently not long after confirming the information.

"The news you brought is too sudden and too shocking. At the very least, please tell me, how did you determine that a supernatural disaster would occur in our country, and which historical figure was responsible?"

It's no secret that extraordinary disasters are related to history.

Reina composed himself. He knew that Amy wouldn't joke around in a place like this. In the recent incident in Florida, she had also acted as if she had foreseen the future.

This suggests that they do indeed possess the means to foresee extraordinary disasters.

So what he needs to do now, or rather what Britain needs him to do, is to strive for a ticket to the extraordinary world.

Turn crisis into opportunity and strive to obtain more extraordinary information.

If the disaster can be contained to a certain extent and only some ordinary people die, it will actually be a good thing.

Collins sighed softly, avoiding the question of how to foresee extraordinary disasters:

"It can be confirmed that the one who planned to cause the disaster was none other than the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper."

"And this time, the target he's going to dissect..."

"It's Britain."

　The time difference was calculated incorrectly in the previous chapter; it was calculated that 12 noon in Japan is 4 AM in London.

　　It should actually be midnight in Japan, which is 4 PM in London. I'll see how to fix it tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)