IBHJ Chapter 898

As for running away? Forget it. Countless eyes were on them, and with the system and a bunch of high-level players watching their every move, escape was impossible.

Maybe Evil Flower was holed up somewhere, shaking in his boots. That's what some players thought.

"Hey, Blondie!" Sweet Little Girl piped up. "How about you let me take care of this Evil Flower? I really need that item."

"Sorry, but this king needs it too," The One King replied.

It looked like the only option was to kill him. Sweet Little Girl's eyes glinted with a cold light. Whether it was to help others or to satisfy her own greed, she was dead set on getting her hands on Evil Flower.

As it happened, the One King was thinking the same thing. Sweet Girl had her reasons for needing Evil Flower, and so did he. They weren't the only ones after Evil Flower either. As far as they knew, there were at least five other guildmates who were also after the item.

The only reason the two of them were there now, fighting over Evil Flower, was because they'd both used teleportation talismans straight from the Sanctuary. If they stalled any longer, more people would arrive from the Sanctuary, and things would get messy.

A quick victory! The thought crossed both their minds at the same time, along with a fierce determination to win at any cost.

Evil Flower was theirs for the taking.

Just then, the sound of applause came from the upper floor.

"Seems like quite a few people want me dead. I'm both terrified and flattered."

All eyes turned to the source of the voice. A young woman in a white dress was slowly descending the stairs. Her golden hair framed a delicate face with a hint of a smile, her blue eyes sparkling. Behind her, a blue-haired girl followed calmly.

"Who's that?"

"Another one of their guild?"

"Don't be silly, did you see their levels? They're newbies."

The players whispered amongst themselves, as the blonde's smile widened.

"Good evening, fellow players. I am Evil Flower."

A hush fell over the room.

"What the hell are you doing, Artoria-neesan?"

Illya, hidden from view, stared at Shirou in disbelief.

Her worst fears had come true. In a situation where he was the target of every player, he hadn't gone into hiding, but openly walked out.

This... this... This was too reckless! Something terrible was about to happen!

Miyu... I'm sorry. I couldn't get your intelligence back, so all I can do is become small to stay with you.

Illya had already given up resisting. Just as she'd predicted, the moment Shirou revealed himself, chaos erupted in the inn.

"She's... she's Evil Flower? The only player who cleared the hell-level newbie quest?"

"Has to be... But, is this guy crazy? Not hiding is one thing, but showing up like this... Man, that's just dumb."

"Yeah, way too reckless!"

"Does she think we won't attack her just because she's cute? If so, she's got another thing coming."

"Agreed."

"Well, since Evil Flower has shown herself, and the One King hasn't made a move yet, we might as well go for it."

The players' eyes were glued to Shirou, eager to take him down and claim the hell-level newbie quest loot.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Artoria not being cute enough. A girl's looks meant absolutely nothing to the players, or any adventurer in this world.

In modern society, money and capital ruled supreme. But in this virtual world, it was all about items and equipment. To them, Shirou was simply a fool.

Even with a unique item, even hunted by the system and other players, he should have stayed hidden, not revealed himself. But what they didn't know was that Shirou was smiling faintly as he watched the chaos brewing.

"The prey walks out to meet the hunters. Interesting." The One King looked at Shirou, the target of everyone's attention, with intrigue.

"Looks like he wants to stir things up and make a break for it. I see through her little game, but she's got guts, I'll give her that. As expected of the player who conquered Pluto." Chain added with a smile.

"Hmph. I don't need you to tell me, I know!" The One King turned away, annoyed.

Chain simply smiled calmly, her emerald eyes gazing softly at her King.

"Let's see how this little guy wants to play. But no matter what, the God's Brain will be mine!" The One King declared confidently.

Sweet Little Girl was also eager to join in.

"Everyone, I know you're all here for the item I got - [God's Brain]. Honestly, this whole scene is a bit intimidating." Shirou even put on a scared expression.

Some of the adventurers chuckled. If they were in his shoes, they'd be scared too.

Exposed by the system, hunted by countless players, and targeted by two members of Sanctuary's top guild. If it were them, they would have given up long ago. After all, death here held far greater consequences than simply dying.

"So, I've decided to give up [God's Brain]," Shirou announced with a smile.

The girl beside Shirou glanced at him, then lowered her head, her blue hair seeming to dim.

The players were stunned. They'd guessed her intentions, but hearing the words "giving up the item" still shocked them.

This was a unique item, after all. Asking a player to give up such a treasure was like asking someone who'd won a $30 million lottery to surrender their ticket. It wasn't just about money; it was about a whole new life.

"Hmph. A wise choice, and shows some courage," the One King said dismissively.

"...To be honest, this is my first adventure. I wanted to join the Emperor's Conquest Guild in Sanctuary and do my part for this world. But facing this, I have no choice. Luckily, there are players here who are more skilled and better suited to use [God's Brain]. It won't be wasted in their hands."

Shirou's face was filled with disappointment, clearly forced into this decision out of desperation.

At that moment, some of the softer-hearted players began to feel a pang of sympathy for Evil Flower.

"Hmph. Cheap trick, reminds me of that guy's sleazy side." The One King glanced provocatively at My Daughter Is Super Cute, but got no response.

Chain smiled gently. "Looks like we need to make some preparations. But don't worry, even if every player here attacks us, we'll still win."

The players looked at Shirou with pity.

Then, a voice from the crowd shouted, "Don't be sad, Evil Flower. As your senior, if you give me God's Brain, I'll give you 100,000 QP!"

"!!!!"

Suddenly, everyone understood.

This was a trade!

They could buy God's Brain through a transaction.

But then doubt crept in.

Two top players from the Emperor's Conquest Guild were present. Even if they bought God's Brain, they couldn't possibly escape with it alive!

Shirou looked at the crowd and said, "Thank you for your kindness, senior. But this God's Brain already has an owner. If I give it to you, it might put you in great danger."

"Don't worry, Evil Flower. This is a safe zone. Even the Emperor's Conquest Guild can't kill anyone here."

At these words, the previously gentle-faced Chain and the One King's gazes sharpened.

Then, it clicked for everyone.

"That's right! You can kill in Zaun, but not in Zaun's inn!"

"But the One King bought the inn. Isn't this his private property now?"

"Property transfers take seven days. That means for the next week, this is still a safe zone! Grab the item first, seven days is plenty of time to figure out an escape. Even if we can't get away, other top Sanctuary players will surely come. We can sell it to them for a fortune."

With this realization, people started shouting out trade offers to Shirou.

"Evil Flower, give me God's Brain! I'll give you 1 million QP!"

"1 million QP? That's nothing! Evil Flower, I'll add an epic weapon!"

"Trade with me, Evil Flower! I have ten properties in the main human city, I'll sell them all to you."

The inn descended into chaos.