Mini World Game Console-Chapter 708 - 709: I Want to Become a Sister!
When Ren Suo left the Royal Court with Lanaya's Divine Descendant Guard, he found himself still fully embraced by the protective "Ambition Origin" of paternal love from Xides. With that, Ren Suo's last shred of fantasy quietly shattered.
Xides was aware that Lanaya was Great Lord Nocturnal's Great Shadow Method of the Three Imperial Clans. He also knew Lanaya was attempting to seize control of the throne to lead the dimension warfare and break free from the destiny of being a mere pawn in the Armored Da-jun. He kept Sony from leaving, yet he still let Lanaya stay close to Sony's side. Of course, such paternal love was much more than simply giving away a wife.
Ultimately, to reach that level of 'Self Satisfaction' capable of activating the Ambition Card, Xides even whipped the corpse of his own son. He crushed his bones and scattered his ashes, returning him to dust and earth, sending his son off on his final journey.
Xides placed all his pawns in their appropriate positions and then quietly awaited their own game of tactics.
However, before Ren Suo left the Royal Court, Xides had someone deliver three things to him: a Two-Star Demigod Card, intelligence on Yisu Great Magistrate, and the Xides token.
The latter two were meant to slander Yisu Great Magistrate, while the Two-Star Demigod Card... was naturally Sony's reward.
Yes, until today, Sony had been equipped only with a One-Star Demigod Card, arguably the most embarrassing one among the Bloodline Great Magistrates.
Without the Bloodline Cartridge and the Bloodline Drive Belt, and being less than a Three-Star Divine Descendant, Sony had climbed to his position as a Bloodline Great Magistrate entirely by his father's strength. All efforts beyond capital were nil. He was only capable of bullying Earthlings, and even then, he had to rely on props like the Domain of Tyranny.
This Two-Star Demigod Card gave Ren Suo a rather subtle feeling:
'Divine Descendant Cartridge: Two-Star Berserker God: The passive effect massively boosts physical condition, immunizes against most mental shocks, and all defense barriers can reduce damage from the front by 80%, side damage by 60%. The active effect is the Furious Roar aura, which can invoke the enemy's rage, making oneself the primary target of attacks.'
Compared to Sony's original One-Star Demigod Card, 'Black Samurai,' this Demigod Card was unquestionably much more powerful. However, Xides actually gave Sony such a 'come at me head-on' type of frontline warrior cartridge. The cartridge excelled in defense, but that was all it did excel in, as it had much less output than the 'Black Samurai.'
Moreover, after Xides's envoy delivered the Two-Star Demigod Card, he also reclaimed Sony's One-Star 'Black Samurai.' Since the Divine Descendant Drive Belt could only equip one Divine Descendant Cartridge, Ren Suo having two was undoubtedly a waste.
In full public view, and with himself locked by paternal love, Ren Suo reluctantly handed over the 'Black Samurai.'
At this time, Xides weakened Sony's attack power, simply stacking up his defensive power, but he did not enhance Sony's ability to escape. The implication was clear—'Don't you die out there.'
Stepping out of the Royal Court, Ren Suo met up with several other Bloodline Great Magistrates who were investigating the Sega Great Magistrate's death incident. They included Fengzi Great Magistrate, Sky Orbit Great Magistrate, Twin Stars Great Magistrate, and Grandmaster Dongshan.
Fengzi Great Magistrate joined because of a good relationship with Sega Great Magistrate. Sky Orbit Great Magistrate, Twin Stars Great Magistrate, and Grandmaster Dongshan belonged to Meridia Grand Duke (Sun Surveillance System), Azura (Moon Surveillance System), and the Night Mother (Sound Listening System) respectively. Logically and emotionally, these Observers were bound to resolve this Dragonborn incident.
They first visited the residence of Sega Great Magistrate and saw the words 'Kill Sega first, purge Sony next' written on the walls. The Great Magistrates couldn't help but stare at Ren Suo, who remained calm. "Let's find Yisu Great Magistrate."
"Why Yisu Great Magistrate?" Fengzi Great Magistrate asked.
"Besides the ever-hidden Great Shadow Method, the greatest beneficiary of the imperial unrest is none other than Yisu Great Magistrate, one of the Three Imperial Clans." When Ren Suo gave this reason, all other Great Magistrates silently accepted it.
It was only Sony who was young; they had seen too much of this level of royal power struggle. When Xides ascended to power, it was as if a gale of bloodshed swept through, and even several Bloodline Great Magistrates were replaced.
A crowd marched majestically to Yisu Great Magistrate's residence. It was just as Ren Suo remembered—an unspeaking red-haired swordsman. Ren Suo didn't hold back and blurted out, "We suspect Dragonborn Los is involved with Mora Grand Duke, and we hope to dispatch the Divine Descendant Guard to thoroughly search Yisu Great Magistrate's residence."
"How could Dragonborn Los possibly be involved with Mora Grand Duke?" one of Yisu Great Magistrate's spokespeople, the blue-haired girl Dana, exclaimed loudly. "Sony the Great, although you have the support of Grand Duke Menelerus and Young Lord Xides, please be cautious with your words when it involves a Great Magistrate!"
Even though Ren Suo was fabricating slander out of nothing, the intelligence Xides had just given him on Yisu Great Magistrate already provided him with ample reasons to accuse. Since arriving on Didra, Ren Suo was not fighting alone! He had the support of real imperial traitors like Lorifes and Xides behind him!
"Otherwise, there is no way to explain how Dragonborn Los could freely use the cartridges of others."
Ren Suo looked at Yisu Great Magistrate and sighed softly, saying, "According to intelligence investigations, Dragonborn Los's strength lies not only in altering his appearance but also in his ability to use other people's cartridges without restriction. Whether it is an ordinary cartridge inscribed by a Great Lord, or a Divine Descendant Cartridge personally crafted by a Great Lord, he can use them without any hindrance!"
"Just now, Dragonborn Los killed Sega Great Magistrate! Sega Great Magistrate of Posecia's Grand Duke was undoubtedly a combat expert, especially adept at single combat. However, judging from the traces at the scene, he was killed one-on-one by Dragonborn Los!"
"The cartridge used was very likely Posecia's Grand Duke's Divine Descendant Cartridge, Brutal Warrior!"
What does this imply? It implies that Dragonborn Los possesses at least Three-Star combat power, and he can skillfully use any new cartridges he gets.
"And it's not just that his skilled usage is simple. The fact that he could use a Divine Descendant Cartridge to defeat a Bloodline Great Magistrate implies that his use of cartridges has reached the pinnacle, surpassing all Didra's Divine Descendants!"
Dana frowned and asked, "What does this have to do with Yisu Great Magistrate...?"
"There are many ways to change appearance, but who can crack cartridges, exploit them, and master all cartridges?"
Ren Suo receded into the crowd, with the appearance of someone deeply concerned for his country, and lamented, "Sony admits his ignorance and hopes that Yisu Great Magistrate, representing Mora Grand Duke who oversees all knowledge, might offer an explanation."
Dana's face changed color. "You think Dragonborn Los is one of us?"
"I never said that. Perhaps Dragonborn Los is capable of stealing Mora Grand Duke's knowledge, or perhaps... Naturally, Mora Grand Duke wouldn't send Dragonborn Los to disturb the favorable situation in Didra now, but surely there might be someone wishing to delay the invasion of this dimension, to hinder His Majesty Xides's path to Divine Enthronement!"
The other Female Divine Descendants of Yisu Great Magistrate voiced in unison, "You're slandering us!"
Ren Suo took out a token. "This is the Royal Decree from His Majesty Xides. Every word we say can be heard by His Majesty, so whether there's slander or not, the Emperor will understand!"
"Let's sort out the clues, shall we? Whose interests were really served by the appearance of Dragonborn Los? He killed many Divine Children, causing chaos throughout the Empire and nearly disrupted the military assembly. If not for the Emperor's wise and martial prowess in accelerating the proceedings, even the invasion plans might have been delayed because of him."
"Who benefits from delaying the invasion plans? The Sixteen Great Monarchs are of one breath and one branch and jointly decided on the invasion plans. Therefore, they definitely wouldn't hamper the plans; in fact, any delay would be counterproductive for them. Consequently, the only beneficiary would naturally be an ambitious schemer lurking in the shadows!"
"If the plans were delayed and something unexpected were to happen to His Majesty, then naturally the next in line to rule the Empire would be one of the Three Imperial Clans—Mora Grand Duke's Yisu Great Magistrate!"
The other Great Magistrates silently stepped back, knowing this was Xides's way of eliminating all hidden threats, preparing to strike at Yisu Great Magistrate, one of the Three Imperial Clans.
Furthermore, what Sony said did seem to have a solid basis. The Great Magistrates were aware of the Dragonborn's existence, but could the Dragonborn really be so formidable? Not only capable of changing his appearance but also of seizing Divine Descendant Cartridges for his free use?
Other things aside, the concept of Divine Descendant Cartridges was originally proposed by the all-knowing Mora Grand Duke. All current cartridges follow a standard set by Mora Grand Duke, effectively equating to Mora Grand Duke developing an operating system for all Didra to use.
Oathbreakers can't use this operating system, so they can only try to break it; if it were someone from Mora Grand Duke's camp, they would certainly have a much more straightforward and foolproof way to hack their own developed system, wouldn't they?
Thinking this way, and eliminating the Dragonborn as a distraction, the possibility that Los was from Mora Grand Duke, from Yisu Great Magistrate, was simply the only one.
"...I suspect that Dragonborn Los has close ties with Yisu Great Magistrate. Yisu Great Magistrate, you command Dragonborn Los to disrupt the Empire, destabilize the situation, and interfere with the invasion plans. This is all for the purpose of delaying time to replace Emperor Xides and claim the credit for invading the dimensions for yourself!"
"Sony the Great, you are all slandering without any evidence!"
"No evidence? Then let's search for evidence!" said Sony. "By the Emperor's order, we shall search Yisu Great Magistrate's residence!"
Naturally, the inspection produced no results, but Ren Suo was not yet satisfied and continued to provoke, "It's normal to not find Dragonborn Los; he can impersonate others and hide easily. Maybe he's even transformed into someone here right now, laughing at our stupidity." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
At that moment, Twin Stars Great Magistrate coldly said, "I've been constantly monitoring nearby, and I've detected no spiritual energy fluctuations."
"So many Great Magistrates coming at once, how could he dare to suddenly transform? If he's really hiding here, he would have assumed someone else's form before we arrived and mixed into the crowd!"
Yisu Great Magistrate suddenly drew his sword and slashed a line on the ground, staring coldly at them.
He caught the subtext of Ren Suo's assertion.
But Ren Suo was not at all afraid. "Submit to the inspection, Yisu Great Magistrate. Aren't you concerned that one of those girls behind you might have been assassinated and replaced by Dragonborn Los? If you are innocent and unconnected to Dragonborn Los, what do you have to fear?"
Twin Stars Great Magistrate glanced at Ren Suo and said, "Rest assured, Yisu, nobody else will intervene. I'll use the Eyes of Stars and Moon to perform the scouting. If even I can't detect anything, there's no need for anyone else to inspect."
As the Night's Observer, Twin Stars Great Magistrate's integrity had always been impeccable, and after a silent moment, Yisu Great Magistrate also nodded permission.
Twin Stars Great Magistrate's eyes shone with starlight. Shaking his head, he said, "There's no problem."
Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief. Yisu Great Magistrate's eyes fixed on Ren Suo as if expecting an apology, but Ren Suo simply said indifferently, "Yet there is still one person here who has not been inspected."
Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then they all looked towards Yisu Great Magistrate, and the atmosphere suddenly became eerily quiet.
"Even if Dragonborn Los possesses Three-Star Combat Power, the fact that he could kill Sega Great Magistrate still seems unbelievable. Both you and I know, the difference between a Bloodline Great Magistrate and a Three-Star Divine Descendant is nearly as vast as that between a Three-Star Divine Descendant and a mortal..."
"And what's more, the one who died was Sega Great Magistrate, known for his single combat prowess..."
"Therefore, the perpetrator must likewise possess Bloodline combat power to make sense. Moreover, this person must also understand Sega Great Magistrate's weaknesses, knowing how to disguise himself as someone trusted by Sega Great Magistrate to infiltrate the residence..."
The Divine Descendant Guard surrounded Yisu Great Magistrate, while the other Great Magistrates also stared intently at him. The Great Magistrates may not believe Ren Suo's accusations, but they understood the Royal Family's stance—the Royal Family intended to finish off Yisu Great Magistrate this time.
Would they stand on the side of Emperor Xides, supported by powerful patrons such as Grand Duke Menelerus, Morag, and Namira, or with the isolated and powerless Yisu Great Magistrate?
The amoral Didra Great Magistrates almost instantly made their choice.
Lanaya shielded Ren Suo from the front, as Ren Suo held high the token and said loudly, "By the command of Emperor Xides, Yisu Great Magistrate is required to submit to inspection!"
"Apologies, Yisu Great Magistrate, but Sony must eliminate Los. His declaration of 'First kill Sega, then execute Sony' left on the wall—Sony has already been targeted for assassination several times by him!
"But who would have thought, he actually escaped Dark Descending and came to Luoyin City!
"How were the coordinates of Luoyin City leaked? Even I only knew the secret entry codes, yet getting into Luoyin City requires multiple steps. Aside from the Great Lords and the Molag Followers, who knows these steps?
"He is far too daring! Coming to Luoyin City, he even assassinated Sega Great Magistrate, a Bloodline Great Magistrate even stronger than Sony!
"Why is he so powerful? Why is he so confident?
"Because he already possesses such formidable strength! Because he is confident he will never be investigated!
"Sony definitely doesn't want to be the next one to die!"
CLANG!
With a resounding sword chime, Yisu Great Magistrate's sword pierced through the ceiling, pointing directly at Sony.
At the same time, a thunderous crash of breaking walls echoed from Yisu Great Magistrate's residence. The Divine Guard immediately went to check and reported back, "Someone has just escaped, and we can't track them. We suspect it was Dragonborn Los."
Oh no, Yisu Great Magistrate is doomed.
That thought arose in everyone's mind.
Ren Suo naturally went with the flow. He didn't make any excessive demands, simply requesting that Yisu Great Magistrate be stationed in the Royal Court.
This pre-ordained farcical tragedy finally came to a close, and Ren Suo took Yisu Great Magistrate back to the Royal Court. Watching the retreating figure of Yisu Great Magistrate being escorted to another palace, Ren Suo felt a mix of emotions.
Cunning is a privilege of the wise, a tool for the successful, so of course the more you can use it, the better. But integrity, kindness, and guardianship are equally noble qualities that should not be neglected. To consider both and combine them results in what is called 'conspiracy'.
He became the executor of this royal intrigue so that Los could smoothly acquire Yisu Great Magistrate's Key of Oblivion. At the same time, he was helplessly becoming the victim of a coup conspiracy.
It's not that he felt sympathy for an Otherworld Bloodline Great Magistrate whom he had never met, and Ren Suo certainly wasn't qualified to feel sympathy for him. According to the records, Yisu Great Magistrate had seven or eight companions and lived for over a hundred years but always appeared youthful. He was a winner in life who had an incredibly smooth journey to becoming the supreme leader.
If Ren Suo could achieve any of Yisu Great Magistrate's life accomplishments, he would consider his life to have no regrets.
But Ren Suo was also acutely aware of a reality.
To achieve his goals, sacrifices must be made.
Los, Xides, Lorifes... they all chose to sacrifice others to achieve their own success.
And Ren Suo, he had nothing to sacrifice but himself.
Back in his sleeping chamber, and avoiding Lanaya's surveillance, Ren Suo immediately reverted to his True Form to find Lorifes, Dong Chengling, and Ren Xingmei. He said, "Lorifes, your brother Los has already infiltrated the Royal Court. Given his nature, he is sure to cause a big scene. If you stay in the Royal Court, the other Divine Descendants might discover you. They could potentially take you hostage to blackmail your brother. I will leave soon and won't be able to protect you."
Ren Suo took out three Drive Belts and a bunch of cartridges. "I need you to take them and disguise yourselves as Divine Guard and leave the Royal Court. Get out of the No-Hunting Zone, and wait for me at the airport that allows transport."
"Once you find the cartridges unlocked, Cheng Ling, Little sister, you directly activate the cartridges to traverse dimensions. With your Different Dimension Coordinate identity, if you just think about landmarks like Heavenly Lotus Academy, you should be able to easily return. As for Lorifes, if you want to return to the Outer World to wait for Los, or stay in Luoyin City for your brother to resolve everything and find you, that's fine too."
Lorifes asked doubtfully, "Cartridges unlocked? ... Do you really think Los can exile the Great Lords!?"
The only way a cartridge governed by a Great Lord could be unlocked is if the Great Lord's power dissipated, which meant the Great Lord would be facing exile and completely removed from the Didra Plane!
Although Ren Suo had previously told her that the Oathbreaker's ultimate goal was to exile the Great Lords, the term 'ultimate goal' implied 'an unattainable fantasy.' This was just like Ren Suo and Zhao Huo's ultimate goal of eternal life through soul datafication in the data world.
Lorifes also realized that although Ren Suo seemed clumsy, he possessed an uncanny prophetic ability in certain matters. The events unfolded almost exactly as he had described them. Indeed, he was an Otherworlder with true skill.
Since Ren Suo said so, then it was indeed possible that Los could achieve such a great and timeless feat!
While Lorifes was beside herself with excitement, Dong Chengling immediately asked, "What about you?"
"I can't leave now. I've been targeted by the Imperial Sovereign from a distance. The moment I disappear or die, the Imperial Sovereign will know," Ren Suo said calmly. "Moreover, I still have a play to perform."
Ren Xingmei came over and grabbed Ren Suo's arm, anxiously asking, "Then how are you going to leave?"
"On foot."
"Brother!"
Ren Suo smiled, went to his bedroom for a moment, and then brought out another Sony wearing a second set of clothes.
Seeing both Ren Suo and Sony appear at the same time, Lorifes was so terrified that she thought the Otherworlders had vomited out the Sony they were supposed to eat.
"Cloning?" Dong Chengling immediately guessed something.
Ren Suo nodded. "That's right, this is my clone. He is now acting as Sony and should maintain for about two hours or so."
Ren Xingmei immediately said, "Then leave the clone here and let's leave together!"
Ren Suo smiled and shook his head. "No, I can't leave my clone here. Once the distance is too great, the clone will be full of flaws, and I need to control it from nearby."
"Moreover," Ren Suo said as he looked at Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei, "Not only can Sony not leave, but one of the Different Dimension Coordinates must also stay. When they need to use the Different Dimension Coordinate, they'll directly track the marker on the marked person. Someone could be snatched away regardless of distance, even if you escape the Royal Court."
Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei were taken aback. Ren Xingmei quickly went through a thousand thoughts before firmly saying, "I'll stay!"
"Teacher Dong, there might be more unexpected events on our way back. If your Qi Cyclone unlocks, as a Fourth-Stage Cultivator, your chances of escaping with my brother will be greater. Unlike me, I can only slow my brother down."
Ren Xingmei took Dong Chengling's hand and earnestly said, "Don't worry, if I become the only Different Dimension Coordinate, I might be safer. You can come back to rescue me later."
"Teacher Dong, I entrust my brother to you."
Dong Chengling looked into Ren Xingmei's eyes and nodded silently.
Ren Xingmei let out a sigh of relief and said to Ren Suo, "Alright, then it's settled. Brother, you just hide well and control the clone, and when the time comes, hurry and—"
SLAP!
Ren Xingmei instantly reacted with a counter-move, blocking a sneak attack from Dong Chengling aimed at the back of her head!
"Teacher Dong, you want to knock me out!?" Ren Xingmei exclaimed in shock and anger.
"Because you look very determined and unlikely to be persuaded by Ren Suo and me, I thought it would be more practical to knock you out and have Ren Suo take you away," Dong Chengling said calmly.
"I said, I'm too weak, escaping with my brother will only become a burden..."
"I'm your teacher. It doesn't make sense for a student to leave their teacher behind and run away."
Watching the two of them argue, Ren Suo waved his hand and said, "Stop arguing, I've already decided who will stay behind."
"Who!?" both Ren Xingmei and Dong Chengling immediately asked.
Who would be left behind to face death? Who would have the chance to escape?
Although Ren Suo could also hide and use his cloning, no matter how he thought about it, his chances of survival inside the Royal Court weren't high. Furthermore, he couldn't just ignore the other Different Dimension Coordinate left behind.
Ren Xingmei noticed Ren Suo looking at her with an apologetic gaze, and her heart couldn't help but sink with disappointment.
This answer, Ren Suo had actually given two days ago.
To let his sister live on her own and join his lover in death.
That was Ren Suo's choice.
She had known all along.
From start to finish, she could only play the role of a sister.
At that moment, Ren Suo suddenly asked, "Little sister, the question I asked you before I left—you haven't given me an answer yet."
Ren Xingmei was stunned to hear Ren Suo ask again, "Little sister, can you give your heart to me?"
Ren Xingmei subconsciously glanced at Dong Chengling beside her. Dong Chengling frowned at Ren Suo but did not speak, silently sitting to the side, neither opposing nor supporting.
Why does it have to be at this moment?
An awakening before facing death?
The last shred of mercy from fate?
Can't you say these words to me in a joking tone on a sunny and breezy noon, right after we've finished playing a fighting game?
If it were like that, I could refuse you in a joking tone too.
Ren Xingmei took a deep breath, blinked back tears, and said earnestly, "I am willing."
Ren Suo exhaled softly and wrapped his arms around Ren Xingmei. Clinging to Ren Suo's scent, a mix of sadness and joy surged within her, nearly bringing her to tears.
Ren Suo then said, "Okay, then open your mind. It might feel quite strange in a moment, and I don't know what will happen."
Ren Xingmei was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Because we need to leave behind a Different Dimension Coordinate, this is the only way I can do it!"
Ren Suo said seriously, "Little sister, I'm going to become you!"
