nucmednet Chapter 280 A Contract Across Worlds
Chapter 280 A Contract Across Worlds
Chapter 280 A Contract Across Worlds
Orario, Guild Headquarters.
Ryu said urgently, "It's true! The core god leading the dark faction is named Erebus. They will use tactics such as returning the gods and stripping adventurers of their favors. Zeus, Chardo of Hera's Familia, and Alphia will stand against the city!"
The guild dismissed it with disdain, saying, "You think you can just come whenever you want?"
Before undergoing the baptism of the great struggle, the Astrea Familia had no influence in later generations. Ryu's face was filled with anxiety and anger. That damned guild pig should be taught a lesson by Roy Wolf.
"Roy————"
Just thinking about that name made Liu feel as if a huge rock was blocking her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.
A profound sense of confusion and bewilderment enveloped her heart.
Liu shook her head violently. At this moment, she had to banish the lingering affection for Roy from her mind. Regardless of whether this world was real or fake, since she knew what was about to happen, she couldn't just sit idly by!
Liu ran around trying to make a difference, but to little avail. She was a nobody and her voice carried little weight, and she couldn't produce any substantial evidence.
Even if the gods sensed that she wasn't lying, they still thought she was mentally deranged and talking nonsense, after all, rumors about "Gale" had been flying everywhere these days.
Some of Astraea's fellow members of the Ganesha Familia, however, were willing to believe her.
But that can't change the overall situation.
The situation is rapidly escalating in the direction Ryu knew, and the disaster for the dark faction arrives precisely on time.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Nine dazzling pillars of light pierced the sky, illuminating the entire heavens and extending for thousands of kilometers, becoming the opening ceremony of this great disaster.
"The chief deity of the Belinus clan has been banished!"
"The entire Zelos Familia has been wiped out!!"
The simultaneous banishment of nine gods to the celestial realm was like a bombshell, instantly detonating throughout Orario. The deathly silence that followed the news lasted only a moment before panic and disbelief erupted. From guild headquarters to the residences of various clans, and to every corner of the streets and alleys, the entire city descended into unprecedented chaos.
The gods were returned, and the favors of their relatives were sealed away.
"Listen up, Orario!"
"—By the name of darkness that has become infamous in this era, I have come to pluck away the hope of the lower realm! Arrogance? — So be it! Violence? — So be it! Bring on your hatred and complaints! For evil, it is the highest happiness! Be angry, weep, and suffer the calamities we bring!"
"I am Erebus—the primordial underworld, the god of the netherworld!"
Erebus's arrogant and sinister voice rang out, clearly echoing in every corner of the city, drowning out all the cries and clamor.
Members of the Dark Faction detonated high explosives (firestones) planted throughout Orario, sending massive pillars of flame soaring into the sky, turning the vast city into a burning wasteland amidst deafening roars.
However, the disaster had only just begun.
Amidst thick smoke and flames, a large number of masked bandits surged onto the streets like ghosts, wielding sharp blades and mercilessly slaughtering the terrified crowd.
Even more fatally, with the gods returned, those members of their kin whose blessings had been sealed away now fell like lambs to the slaughter, collapsing in despair.
As far as the eye could see, there was only deathly silence. Warm blood gushed from countless fallen bodies, soaking the cold earth and eventually converging into winding rivers, silently telling the cruelty of this atrocity.
Erebus swaggered up to Ryu, clearly intrigued by the elven girl. He was followed by two top-tier warriors, Chardo and Alphia, and no one could harm him in the slightest.
"Erebus!" Ryu gritted his teeth.
Erebus laughed, "I heard you predicted our plan in advance, but it's a pity that those guys in the guild not only didn't believe it, but also claimed that they couldn't let the rumors cause panic and suppressed the news."
"drink!"
Liu Tian's blue eyes revealed extreme anger. He drew his longsword and charged forward without regard for anything else.
"Foolishness, gospel!"
With a cold rebuke, Liu was violently blasted away by an invisible force. She had no time to react and could only let the force send her flying, crashing heavily into the stone wall.
The enormous impact caused the walls to cave in, and cracks resembling a spider web spread across the surface.
boom!
In the blink of an eye, Liu was covered in wounds, large and small, all over her body. Blood soaked through her clothes and dripped down the trembling sword blade. Each wound screamed in agony.
She still used all her strength to prop herself up from the rubble, barely managing to maintain a standing posture.
"How could you!"
As far as Liu's eyes fell, Orario was reduced to ruins, with countless lives buried under the rubble. Grief and resentment filled her mind.
The horrific scene before her eyes did not break her; instead, it was like a heavy hammer that shattered all her hesitation, because this was not the first time she had experienced such a thing!
Ryu's eyes suddenly turned cold and resolute, her voice filled with unwavering determination, "I will stop all of this, no matter what it takes!"
The words of the oath still echoed in the air!
Ryu felt a fatal daze, and the next second, the hellish scene receded like the tide. The towering flames, the heart-wrenching cries, and the lingering smell of blood all disappeared, including those of Erebus, Chardo, and Alphia.
She was shocked to discover.
I was standing perfectly fine on the bustling street, the sunlight blinding, the air thick with the noise of people—
This is Orario, which was just three days ago.
"Want to buy apples?" the fruit stand owner asked.
"No, thank you!"
Liu replied that she didn't have the time or inclination for that.
A moment later, Ryu finally realized something: she had returned to the time before the "Seven Days of Death" had occurred!
Having experienced another catastrophe brought about by the dark faction, Ryu's feverish mind calmed down. He realized that passion alone could not change the future.
It's unclear how many times she'll be able to come back. From now on, she needs to learn to be frugal.
"Guild Master Royman is a capable and ruthless person, but he is also greedy for pleasure and comfort and has a certain weakness, especially when it comes to his own life. Just think about it, how could someone as wealthy as him be willing to risk his life against a poor guy?"
"If you want the Freya Familia's help, go to a tavern called 'The Abundant Mistress' and tell the owner, Aunt Mia, that you can help the goddess Freya find a partner. Then tell her that there is a red-eyed white rabbit in the north."
"Finn of the Loki Familia, fighting for the revival of his clan, specifically asked Loki to help him obtain the title of 'Hero.' He'll do most things that help increase his reputation."
"Apollo—if he hadn't met a man he liked—was actually a benevolent god—"
Liu stood there, stunned. Roy's voice echoed in her mind. Her nose tingled and her eyes welled up with tears. They had talked about Orario, high-level adventurers, dungeons, and other topics on countless nights.
These days, she doesn't dare to think about Roy at all. If she were to realize that she would never see him again, she would probably have a mental breakdown.
After resolving the "Seven Days of Death," she will definitely go looking for the other person again until this body is completely burned away.
Based on Roy's assessment of those at the top of the Orario pyramid, Ryu is running around threatening the guild with force. Aren't you afraid of causing panic? Then the Astrea Familia will cause even bigger trouble. Aren't you afraid of that too?
She simply planted explosives throughout the city, and even detonated one of them. No one was injured, but the guild was forced to mobilize the public to evacuate.
The president, Lloyd, was so angry that he almost suffered a stomach perforation.
Alexie and the others stared at Ryu with expressions of utter disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Ryu smiled bitterly. The old her would never have done something so crazy. It was all that bastard Roy's fault for corrupting the clan's morals.
Afterwards, Ryu went to the "Abundant Mistress" tavern, and this time it went even more smoothly.
"Huh? What does it have to do with me that goddess is looking for a partner? Get out of here and don't disturb my business!" Mia's voice boomed as she shooed Liu out.
But Ryu knew she would succeed. Four years later, it was common knowledge in Orario that Seele Frova was actually the goddess Freya in disguise.
Sure enough, after leaving the "Fertile Mistress" tavern, she "bumped into" Seele Frova in an alley.
The gray-haired girl curiously inquired about the "Goddess's Companion," but Ryu pretended not to know her identity and told her about the "Red-Eyed White Rabbit" from the North, a pure and innocent boy with a flawless soul—
Freya's Familia is confirmed to join the war!
Immediately afterwards, Ryu arrived at the Twilight Mansion and told Finn the complete information about the Dark Faction's attack. The "Hero" immediately decided to lead everyone into battle.
Ryu kept persuading the guild and many other forces to remind the nine gods who had been sent back to the heavens.
Increase Orario's defensive strength.
The god from the depths of the void fixed his gaze on Roy and asked, "Do you know what people will do if they can't achieve their goals?"
Roy's lips curled into a cold smile.
"The answer is simple, try again!" the god laughed, for this was the biggest trap.
"Now there are only two possible outcomes: she achieves her goal of stopping the harm that the great protests will cause to people, or she creates a better future, and she will be even more reluctant to leave that world."
"Or perhaps you fail, get stuck on this hurdle forever, until you finally suffer a mental breakdown and your soul is destroyed!"
The higher the adventurer's rank, the stronger their conviction and will, making them more susceptible to demonic possession.
"Don't underestimate the gods, kid!"
"Hahahaha!"
The gods deep within the void let out triumphant laughter.
Neither outcome is good for Roy, so the god is absolutely confident that he has a 99% or higher chance of winning this bet!
Roy watched coldly; the villain died because he talked too much!
Failure after failure, but with each cycle, every bit of progress brings Ryu closer to success, and hope is within reach.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The violent explosion arrived as expected, flames shot into the sky, and the civilians had already evacuated. Before the members of the dark faction could benefit from the chaos of the explosion, the Orario adventurers who had been lying in ambush emerged from the shadows.
The swords gleamed coldly, as if they had foreseen everything, and slashed precisely at the astonished enemy.
In an instant, the figures of the two sides clashed, and a fierce battle ensued, with members of the dark faction being continuously killed.
After hundreds of reincarnations, Ryu gained insight into all the conspiracies and movements of the dark faction and successfully persuaded all parties to make thorough preparations and arrangements.
Success is just one step away!
That's the silver-haired woman in front of us, Alphia, the adventurer of the Hera Familia!
Ryu delivers the intelligence to Finn, and the Loki Familia takes overall command. Various Familias and the Dark Factions engage in a chaotic battle, with Chardo and Freya Familia locked in a fierce war.
To protect the people of Orario, Ryu has calculated all her combat power to the limit, except for Alphia, who can only be dealt with by the Astrea Familia.
"marvelous!"
"Truly a city of heroes!"
Erebus stood atop the Tower of Babel, his eyes fixed excitedly on the battlefield below.
After Zeus and Hera's kin failed in their campaign against the black dragon and were nearly wiped out, the dark faction became increasingly rampant, the black dragon stirred, and the world was on the verge of destruction.
Erebus feigns cooperation with the Dark Families to unify the entire Dark faction. He acts as a villain against the various Families of Orario, giving Orario adventurers trials and serving as a springboard for a new era.
This is the truth behind the great struggle.
But things didn't go as he expected. Erebus shouted, "Chardor, Alphia, give it your all and crush them all!"
Erebus's eyes burned with fervor. Originally, Chardo and Alphia should have gone easy on him, letting him be defeated as experience points, thus providing a great opportunity for adventurers of the new era.
However, Ryu's ingenious plan perfectly thwarted all the conspiracies and attacks of the dark faction.
Let Erebus know that Orario has not been pushed to its limit yet, and they must give it their all!
Faced with Chardo and Alphia giving their all, Ryu understood what the abyss of despair truly meant.
That insurmountable gap in strength transformed into a cold, iron hand, crushing all her previous efforts and struggles, along with her last hope.
These two powerful individuals, both at LV.7, possess top-tier stats, combat experience, and exquisite skills that no current Orario adventurer can rival.
Even with all our might, we couldn't win!
"It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering, that damn god." Alphia said softly.
Chardo laughed, "We didn't expect those guys to go this far!"
The former was terminally ill, while the latter, in his battle against the land king Behemoth, used his abilities to devour Behemoth's flesh, causing his strength to surge and allowing him to deliver the final blow. However, this left his body filled with deadly poison, affecting his internal organs...
The muscles are rotting; he won't live much longer.
Despite their complaints, the two stopped holding back and their attacks became more than ten times fiercer than before. Even though they were in terrible condition, they were still invincible.
Chardo utterly crushed LV.6 Ota and the entire Freya Familia.
"Gospel!"
Alphia's voice fell, transforming into a tangible cannonball. With a deafening boom, the terrifying power blasted away all members of the Astrea Familia.
The earth trembled at her voice.
Most of Astrea's Familia members were LV.3, with only a few at LV.2. How could they possibly defeat this "Silent" witch? In the blink of an eye, everyone was seriously injured.
Alexie and Kaguya struggled to stay upright.
"If I were alone, I would run away immediately. Who wants to fight a monster like this?" Lyra cursed, "It's too strong."
"Oooooo!"
The members of the Dark Faction erupted in cheers. With the once-renowned strongest Zeus and Hera's Familia standing with them, defeat was impossible!
Alexie shouted loudly towards Ryu, "Rion, are you alright? Answer me!"
Ryu was buried under heavy rubble. Her eyes, which once shone like sky-blue stars, were now dull and lifeless, and a chilling coldness swept over her entire body.
Helplessness and anger turned into despair and numbness. This was the limit of what she could do. Even if she went through hundreds or thousands of reincarnations, she could not do better!
Chardo, Alfia!
These two mountains cannot be moved no matter what; in the face of absolute power, everything is so powerless.
Despite giving everything, he ultimately couldn't shake the trajectory of fate? Ryu's eyes gradually lost their luster, his heart empty, as if he had fallen into an abyss.
From the depths of the void, the voice of the god resounded once more, filled with deep emotion: "Her mind is about to collapse."
To be able to fight against the "Seven Days of Death" incident single-handedly to this extent, that elf girl was already quite powerful, but there are limits to it.
Nothing in this world is perfect.
She had to persuade the guild and various clans, assist in the evacuation of the people, avoid being discovered by the dark faction, and finally face Chardo and Alphia.
This cycle of reincarnation is the limit.
It's a near-perfect jigsaw puzzle. If you were to tear it all down and start over, any change in any detail would trigger countless chain reactions.
Even seasoned adventurers cannot withstand the torment of the Time Prison.
"You lost!"
The deity announced the result, saying that Ryu was already showing signs of collapse and wouldn't last much longer.
However, to his surprise, Roy was not angry, hysterical, or gambler-like; his face remained calm throughout.
Roy said, "I never underestimate the gods!"
Roy always held a sense of awe for these ancient monsters who had lived for hundreds of millions of years, but he would never fight a battle he had no chance of winning.
Roy stared intently at Ryu inside the sphere of light, murmuring, "Call upon her, stop deceiving yourself!"
The god deep within the void sensed Roy's heart, the playfulness in his eyes vanished, and he fell silent, instead staring together at the world of memories.
"Is that all?"
Alphia had her eyes closed, yet she could sense the frustration and helplessness of the Astrea Familia.
"Don't underestimate us!" Alphia and the others roared in anger after being provoked by her.
Like moths to a flame, they charged towards Alphia, their fierce swordplay, arrows, and explosives fueling their anger and courage.
However, all of this was in vain before absolute power. Alphia only needed to whisper the "Gospel," and a devastating shockwave swept through the crowd, scattering everyone like falling leaves.
They flew dozens of meters and scattered in various places, their wounds quickly accumulating and their clothes soaked with blood.
Ryu watched helplessly as her companions rose again and again, only to be knocked down even more heavily each time. Tears of pain streamed silently down her bloodied cheeks, and a profound sense of powerlessness almost overwhelmed her.
What else can she do? And what can she do?
"Roy!!"
With her last ounce of strength, Liu screamed desperately into the void, pleading for help from the hero in her heart.
As soon as she finished speaking, a gale swept through, golden particles exploded, and boundless energy surged out as a blazing warm current. Brilliant light emanated from her body, shining brightly and instantly illuminating an area of hundreds of meters.
This also attracted the attention of the entire battlefield.
"What's wrong?" Alphia, Alisha, Kaguya and the others stopped what they were doing and looked at Ryu.
Even the gods Erebus, Astraea, Hermes, and others on the other side of the Tower of Babel couldn't help but look over there, countless gazes falling on Ryu.
Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, Liu's figure grew longer and her features changed dramatically as she shone. She transformed back into her original eighteen-year-old youthful appearance, standing tall and graceful, with her long golden hair radiating a golden glow.
Liu covered her chest with her small hand, and a powerful force broke through the restraints in her body with overwhelming force, instantly restoring her strength from LV.3 to LV.6.
"Aa ...
The girls of the Astrea Familia stared in disbelief at the tall, enlarged version of Ryu, their eyes wide.
"Liang has grown bigger?" Alexie's mouth gaped slightly.
"So that's how it is." Kaguya, now more perceptive and detail-oriented, looked dejected, having already understood.
"It's not that I've grown up, it's that the dream should end." Liu stood on the ground, slightly raising her head as if gazing at the stars. Her disheveled golden bangs obscured her sky-blue eyes, and her slightly parted lips revealed a voice that was more mature than before.
The girls of the Astrea Familia fell silent, even the usually carefree Alyssa. They remembered what Ryu had once said.
This 18-year-old version of Ryu comes from four years later, when they were all already dead!
"Why?!"
Upon seeing Liu return to her original form, the god deep within the void exclaimed in astonishment, his voice filled with profound shock.
He went for it! He advanced step by step, steadily pushing forward! He was in a winning position, having already cornered Roy! He—
Victory is just one step away!
Roy delivers his victory speech!
This feeling is truly—even a god who has lived for hundreds of millions of years could not accept this outcome.
Roy confidently declared, "Our contract cannot be broken, even if we are in different worlds!"
"contract?"
The gods deep within the void could not comprehend what it was, but the undeniable facts were laid bare before them.
The way to escape the world of memories is to accept the past, acknowledge the present, and move towards the future.
Ryu returns to her memories of being thirteen years old and meets Alexie Rofer and others again.
Her keen senses as a high-level adventurer led her to realize that she had fallen into some kind of magical illusion. However, the world felt too real, and she felt joy deep down. She even mistakenly believed that she had traveled through time and space to save Alexie and the others, and she was unwilling to leave.
The boundaries between the two worlds have become blurred.
But that's not actually the case!
Roy could sense that the Synchronization Contract had not been severed, and he believed that Ryu could sense it as well.
Ryu, who has a Synchro Contract, knows from beginning to end that it is not the real world, but she is unwilling to admit it and enjoys the fleeting beauty of the world of memories.
When she sought Roy's help, she triggered the Synchro Contract, proving that Roy was real!
The fact that Roy didn't exist in that world meant that the world she lived in was fake, completely shattering the veil of falsehood and making it impossible to deceive herself any longer.
Ryu's gaze slowly swept over familiar faces—her always energetic best friend, Alexie, and Kaguya, who loved to argue with her—the past noise and laughter flowed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.
A poignant smile quietly appeared on her delicate lips, and two lines of hot tears uncontrollably slid down her cheeks, carrying all her longing and reluctance.
"Rion!"
Alexie, Kaguya, and the girls of the Astrea Familia watched Ryu quietly, their eyes filled with encouragement and support, without any confusion.
"Mmm—Mmm!" Liu responded choked with sobs, crystal-clear tears falling continuously, taking away the last lingering doubts in her heart. At that moment, she completely reconciled with her past obsessions, no longer denying things that could not be undone, nor deluding herself into trying to reverse the established history.
She would inherit everything her companions had done and continue the justice they believed in! A dazzling golden light emanated from the Grace on Liu's back.
Roy sensed that the connection of the Synchro Contract was still intact, so he knew that he couldn't possibly lose!
The god deep in the void is going to give him a treasure that is enough to kill a god. He would be disrespectful to the "Synchronization Contract" if he hesitates for even a second!
This farce should end.
Roy's gaze fell on another sphere of light.
Compared to the useless elf who deceived himself, the fox-girl was much less of a worry for Roy.
Haruhime returns to her childhood, living in an island nation in the far east, where she meets the chief deity and her friends of the Takemikazuchi Kinkaku clan, and often plays with them.
Eleven-year-old Chun-hime mistakenly ate a divine dish offered by a dwarf guest to be used as a sacrifice for the shrine of the gods, and thus decided to punish her as an official...
The father, who was in charge of serving the gods, was furious, severed ties with his daughter, and expelled her from the family service.
Actually, it was the little human guest who, upon first meeting Chun Ji, was tempted and deliberately plotted to frame her.
After Chun Ji was expelled from her family, she was kidnapped by the dwarfs and was attacked by the Yu Beastmen on the way.
Faced with the ferocious monsters, the weak dwarfs abandoned the burdensome Haruhime and fled on their own.
Just as Haruhime was about to be killed, she was saved by a passing thief. The thief learned that Haruhime was a virgin and sold her to the pleasure district of North Lari. After several twists and turns, she came to the Ishtar Familia and became an apprentice prostitute.
At this moment, Chun Ji was in the most dangerous situation, surrounded by monsters in front of her and cruel thieves behind her. An overwhelming fear gripped her heart.
"Lord Roy!" Chun Ji's face turned pale.
"O harbinger of the end, oh, the snow-covered landscape! As dusk approaches, let the winds howl, extinguish the light, and blanket the frozen earth in snow!"
"Third harsh winter—my name is Alfre!"
"Ecstasy: Fimbulb Winter!"
Roy's voice rang out, and a biting wind rose out of nowhere, sweeping across the sky with swirling snowflakes. Wherever the magic reached, whether it was a ferocious monster or a vicious thief, their noise and movements were instantly stripped away, turning them into silent ice sculptures.
Even the surging earth fell silent, as if the whole world had been dragged into a realm of stillness.
Compared to the violent outburst of fire magic, ice magic was subtle and gentle, more like an elegant reign, leaving Chun Ji completely unaffected.
Chunji turned her head suddenly, and her clear, emerald-green eyes reflected Roy's handsome face.
Roy smiled. "I've come to pick you up."
"Lord Roy!"
The frail Chunji was already sobbing uncontrollably. She threw herself into Roy's warm embrace, burying her tear-streaked face in his shoulder. Her slender hands gripped his clothes tightly, and her delicate body trembled silently from the lingering fear.
She had a lot of fun playing with Xiaoming and the others, but now she just wants to stay by her hero's side.
Through this trial, she learned the truth about her expulsion from her family, her heart shattered. The treacherous little people, the domineering father, the profit-driven thief—the malice of the entire world seemed to be working together to control her life.
In the boundless darkness, only Roy's body was her only safe haven.
"Lord Roy, I think I've awakened a new magic," Chun Ji said softly, her back flushed with a heat that seemed to hold something within her.
"I know, the connection spell for the Magic Hammer is called 'Ninefold'!" Roy laughed, pleasantly surprised that both of them had awakened new magic.
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