I, the Geo Archon Morax with 2.1 Billion Mora, Have Joined a Chat Group [266]

“Now then, let’s get down to business.”

Zhongli pointed to the ground ahead of them, where only corpses remained.

A strange radiance glowed at his fingertip—and in the next moment, several translucent, half-decayed spirits materialized before Kumoko’s eyes, their twisted expressions frozen in death.

“Yaaah~!” Kumoko jumped back in fright, her whole body springing into the air.

Even after everything she’d done—causing all these deaths—ghosts still gave her the creeps.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” Zhongli said, his calm voice soothing her nerves like a balm.

“My research into this world’s skill system has reached a fairly deep level—I'd say I've deciphered about eighty percent of it. Intercepting a human soul right before it enters the reincarnation system is a relatively standard operation now.”

Kumoko took a breath to calm herself, then cautiously glanced at the soul of a thief sprawled on the ground—head cracked open, entrails spilled everywhere—and asked, “Um, Zhongli-senpai... what are you doing with these souls?”

“Hm...” Zhongli paused, thoughtful. “Kumoko, have you noticed? These bandits weren’t just attacking at random. Their target was that baby—your reincarnated classmate.”

“Huh? I don’t think that’s likely,” Kumoko replied, scratching her fuzzy head with a foreleg. “My classmate was reborn as a noble’s daughter, right? Even if the bandits were planning ahead, they were probably aiming for the noble family, not the baby specifically.”

“No. If my assessment is correct...” Zhongli trailed off, then stopped himself. “Actually, let’s hear it straight from the source.”

With that, he reached out and gently tapped one of the filthy-looking spirits.

A soft, silvery light enveloped the soul, and in an instant, its vacant gaze sharpened ever so slightly—as if a trace of awareness had returned.

That was enough. Zhongli withdrew his power, halting the revival just before it went too far.

Then he turned to the ghost and asked, “Why did you attack that noble carriage? Were you not afraid of the consequences from the nobility afterward?”

The tattered bandit soul answered without hesitation: “Someone paid us to ambush the carriage and take the baby inside. Sure, we knew it was risky going after a noble’s kin, but the reward was just too good.”

“See?” Zhongli spread his hands and looked over at Kumoko.

He turned back to the spirit. “Who was your employer?”

“Now that’s a question for me,” the bandit soul said, a flicker of pride creeping into its otherwise lifeless tone. “I’m not good at much, but my sense of smell is far sharper than most. I sniffed out the origin of our little job behind the scenes.”

“It was a group of pointy-eared elves.”

“Elves?” Kumoko blinked, stunned. Then she frowned. “Seriously? Elves doing black market deals and baby trafficking? That’s way off from how I imagined them…”

Zhongli, worldly as ever, clapped his hands softly. “You shouldn’t take what you see in light novels or anime as the standard. On Earth, the portrayal of elves varies: sure, Japanese media often casts them as helpless victims, but in Western fantasy? Elves are fierce warriors with honor and strength.”

“If we’re talking Warhammer 40K elves,” he added, “they wouldn’t hesitate at genocide, let alone engage in the dark underworld.”

“Think about it—elves tend to have rich civilizations, long lifespans, swift reflexes, and centuries of magical study. Apart from the well-known issue of low birth rates, they’re essentially a superior version of humanity. How could such a race possibly be weak?”

Zhongli mused for a moment. “Frankly, it’s the way some Japanese stories depict elves—ridiculously frail and born to be abused—that feels... off.”

“Cough, cough~~!” Kumoko coughed loudly and quickly changed the subject. If that conversation continued, she was pretty sure her brain would start to warp.

“Let’s just keep questioning these guys. Why would elves get involved in a kidnapping like this?”

“Dunno.”

The ghost gave that answer instantly.

“Welp, figures.” Kumoko shook her head.

As the interrogation continued, it became clear the bandits knew little else of value.

Realizing nothing more could be learned, Zhongli waved a hand, and the ghostly figures dissolved into glimmering motes, returning to the aether.

Zhongli’s expression remained composed. “So, when you think of elves... does anything come to mind?”

“Hmm???”

Kumoko curled her legs around herself, squinting as if trying to summon a memory from a nonexistent set of eyebrows.

“Hmm...”

“Hmmmm...”

She blinked, then looked at Zhongli with a cautious expression.

“Black beasts? Pig-headed men?”

Zhongli shot her a look and said flatly, “The Demon Lord Ariel has two major goals. One of them is the death of the elven patriarch, Potimas Harrifenas.”

“It’s clear that this Potimas is a critical figure. At the very least, Ariel sees him as a must-kill villain. More importantly, she’s incapable of killing him herself—which means he must be one of the most powerful beings on this planet.”

“And if someone like him is leading the elves and trying to abduct your reincarnated classmate, then it’s safe to say there’s a deeper conspiracy at work.”

Before Zhongli had even finished, Kumoko was already nodding enthusiastically.

“Totally makes sense~!”

“So,” Zhongli continued, “what do you think someone like that would do if his kidnapping plan got thwarted?”

“Hm? Run, obviously. I mean, if it were me and some super elaborate plan fell apart, I’d immediately flee to some place no one could find me.”

She nodded again, visibly proud of her strategic insight.

“Sun Tzu once said: The noble man does not stand under a crumbling wall. And the librarian back at the library also said: Never fight a battle unprepared. Never fight a battle you can’t win. Always make sure you're ready.”

“Quite right,” Zhongli agreed with a nod.

“But,” he added, “Potimas Harrifenas clearly isn’t that kind of person. I’m certain he’ll make another move.”

“And by the way... that first quote wasn’t from The Art of War. It’s from The Analects.”

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This is a fan translation of 我，21亿岩王帝君加入聊天群 by 大一统. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!