IBHJ Chapter 882

"Don't say that. In the end, we will definitely win!" Saturn declared confidently.

"Don't get too cocky, brother. After all, according to the rules, Pluto has already failed," another life form chimed in.

"I apologize, I truly didn't expect anyone to answer that question, let alone possess an item to break through my virtual body... However, based on our agreed-upon rules, Jupiter should have eliminated them by now. Though Jupiter has to wait a few minutes due to the Lv.9 BOSS attribute, those guys shouldn't be able to escape, right?"

"Indeed. According to the rules, only first-level newbies can undertake this Quest. Whoever defeated Pluto must have found a key item left by Crimson Moon as part of the story script. But it should be a one-time-use item, disappearing after defeating Pluto. Even if it didn't, Jupiter should have made short work of them. They should have been brutally killed by now."

The other lifeforms nodded in agreement, finding this reasoning sound.

Yes, that's how it should have gone. Fearing a repeat of what happened billions of years ago, they condemned this planet to destruction. However, the cunning Crimson Moon tricked them, forcing them into this game of chance.

Using the Mooncell supercomputer, they hacked into a Connection Point, easily defeating the gods, divine visitors, and guardians summoned by the Council. They successfully digitized this Connection Point, initiating the high-stakes game between them and Crimson Moon.

And this gamble was the hell-level newbie quest!

The players undertaking this quest were the protagonists of the bet, while these powerful beings served as boss guardians, competing within the game rules.

If the players completed the main quest, these beings would have to admit defeat and withdraw their judgment on the planet. However, if the protagonist player used up all their lives and failed, it would be their victory. They would then break the rules, restore their true forms, and pass a death sentence on the planet, destroying it and the dreaded vortex.

Although there was a chance of failure, they didn't believe they would lose to Crimson Moon.

It seemed obvious, after all. They were the strongest beings in this solar system. Fourteen thousand years ago, when the Wandering Star sent three vanguards, they shot down two. The starship carrying the last vanguard, Altera, crash-landed on the moon, where it was captured by Mooncell and analyzed.

Even though they were bound by the game rules, how could they possibly lose?

Absolutely not!

Sure, a player had managed to defeat Pluto, the first guardian, and become the protagonist of the bet. But Pluto had been always the careless one, so her loss wasn't surprising. Jupiter, however, had a cautious personality. How could the "protagonist" possibly survive against that?

That's what they thought.

But...

"No. Though I hate to interrupt the celebration, I couldn't kill them. I was actually played by them..." Jupiter said, sounding a bit vexed.

"You failed to kill them?"

They were shocked.

They had meticulously prepared for this gamble. First, they tampered with Gaia, then they sealed Mercury, who refused to cooperate. Pluto guarded the first checkpoint, playing word games, and if she failed, Jupiter was supposed to deliver the killing blow...

Despite the rules constraining them, they took it seriously. After all, they didn't want to face the vortex either.

Yet, despite all this, Jupiter failed to deliver the final blow and was instead toyed with by the "protagonist" team?

Jupiter was helpless. He had raised his head and howled, intending to trap Shirou and the others with his authority. Who would have thought that in that moment, they would use the Grail to burrow underground, not only evading his authority but also completely shaking him off.

"Heroic Spirits and Noble Phantasms, eh? Gaia is unexpectedly capable. Even though she's not all there, she still managed to leave a channel for them to manifest and function."

"Her life is on the line, so it's natural she'd try so hard. But it's all pointless. Mercury, the only one who opposed the judgment, has been sealed. The others are of no concern. However... Venus, you sound quite pleased. Come to think of it, you've been getting quite close to the Crimson Moon lately. You have a closer relationship with Gaia. Don't tell me you oppose the judgment like Mercury?"

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. I wholeheartedly support the judgment. In fact, I despise Gaia from the bottom of my heart."

"Then why are you getting so close to Crimson Moon and those things?"

"Your thinking is too simplistic. Players, you see, are the cheapest labor force. With a little temptation, you can make them do anything." Venus smiled, a devilish grin spreading across her face. "Don't forget, although we're constrained by the game rules, we have special privileges."

...

"How much longer, Illya?"

"Hmm... shouldn't be too far now."

Shirou and the others trekked across a barren desert.

This was the necessary path to the vampire capital, the Dark City of Zaun.

Shirou's blood factor was already maxed out. He needed to reach Zaun, find the Vampire King, and upgrade his level. Otherwise, he couldn't gain more blood factor in future battles.

Simply put, his experience points were full and he needed to level up. If he didn't, he couldn't gain any more experience.

He pulled up the [Quest] window, skimming over it.

Besides the quest that had now become irrelevant with the village chief gone, the main quest was still a mystery, full of question marks. Aqua's explanation had shed some light – they were supposed to defeat Frieza and his party. But without clear instructions, it was hard to see how to move forward.

Figuring out the plot wasn't his top priority, though. They needed to get stronger.

In this game world, Heroic Spirits and Noble Phantasms took a back seat to levels, gear, and skills. So, he turned to Illya, the more experienced player, to guide him to the vampire capital for a class upgrade.

"Master," the blue-haired girl trailing behind spoke up in her monotonous voice, "are you asking about the distance to the vampire capital? It is 12 kilometers away. At our current speed, it will take 1 hour, 12 minutes, and 56 seconds. Taking the shortcut on the left, through a desert whirlpool, would save 7 minutes, but it's not advisable due to the risk of getting trapped."

"That precise?" he asked, surprised.

Aqua nodded and said flatly, "The system has equipped my interface with a navigation function. If you need directions, Master, you can always ask me."

Illya couldn't help but tease, "Are you a car GPS or something?"

"Car GPS? What's that?" Aqua tilted her head, puzzled. "My vocabulary doesn't contain an explanation for that term."

Illya: "..."

She just stared at her, speechless.

Shirou glanced back at Altera, who lagged far behind.

Since waking, Altera had managed to suppress the Wandering Star's destructive instinct. The memory of her actions while under its influence, the harm she'd nearly done to Shirou, made her keep her distance, hesitant to approach.

The Wandering Star's instinct... Shirou sighed. It was a real problem. Such a kind, gentle soul who valued life, yet cursed by her nature to bring only death and destruction... It was a cruel irony.

A tug on his hair brought him back to the present. Mordred, perched on his shoulder, was the culprit.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her. "Mordred, stop pulling my hair."

"But... I'm so hungry, Mama..." she whined, her small face a picture of misery.

Mentioning hunger made him subconsciously rub his own stomach.

Using Artoria's body had given him a taste of just how voracious the so-called "Dragon's stomach" could be.

The truth was, he was quite hungry himself, but he kept it hidden.

And if he was feeling it, Mordred, who had inherited Artoria's appetite, must be starving too.

As a child, with her mental capacity and physical functions drastically reduced, it was only natural she couldn't bear it.