Having been destined by the Virtual Realm to flee from the Blood Moon, Ashe never considered the possibility of a failed escape. However, he had contemplated the worst-case scenario of this escape journey—blending in with a group of unfamiliar adventurers, breaking into an Exotic Land that might be even worse than the Blood Moon Kingdom, being treated as an enemy by the natives, and perpetuating the fine tradition of being a passive Scapegoat, transitioning from a “Cult Leader” to an “Outer Realm Invader,” to live a precarious life of dubious freedom…
He thought the journey couldn’t get any worse.
Then reality slapped him hard—don’t underestimate me, Social Idler!
Ashe had set his sights too low, still fantasizing about ‘blending in with a group of unfamiliar adventurers.’ But now, the one slinging an arm around his shoulder with leering and lascivious eyes, a belly full of mischief so vile he’d swindle candy from a child, who else could it be but Igor, the male Bewitcher?
And the one munching on Moon Sugar as if it were a snack, isn’t that the Necromancer, Harvey?
As for the duo sitting opposite, it’s none other than Langna and Ronald!
The five great villains from the prison escape, reunited once more!
What kind of feeling was it to have these companions, who had once shared hardships and faced tough challenges together, gather again? Ashe felt as if he himself was about to ignite!
That is, with rage.
“Did you also choose to escape the Blood Moon through the Virtual Realm Passage?” Ashe’s voice barely contained the fury, “You are the local big shots, do you really need to flee with me!?”Harvey, while eating his sugar, spread his hands: “You are the head of the Four Pillars Cult. Shouldn’t you continue your missionary work in Kaimon City, promoting the traditional culture of the Four Pillars? You actually want to just walk away, that’s not very loyal!”
Langna put away his sharpening stone and glanced at Harvey: “Once you leave the Blood Moon Kingdom, away from the Chip system here, you’re no longer the mysterious and terrifying Controller, just a Necromancer indistinguishable from a street rat. Is that really okay?”
When it came to his profession, Harvey couldn’t hold back. He snorted, “For all we know, on the other side of the passage could be a great Kingdom that venerates the Necromancy Faction. A land strewn with Corpses, where the living are freed from tedious labor, focusing on the Virtual Realm and research. Social production is entirely the responsibility of Corpses, devoid of conflict, abundant in resources, where life is sublimated in death…”
“That’s as ridiculous as saying we’ll one day become infatuated with Lala Fatty,” Igor retorted bluntly. “You better off joining the Nursery, maybe there you’ll find someone who speaks your language.”
“You’re making me hungry,” Ronald muttered, waving at Ashe, “What kind of Lala Fatty do you like? I prefer them spicy.”
“I like the salted egg yolk flavor… Wait, no!” Ashe clutched his head in frustration, “Can’t you choose another time, another method? Must you pick the same time, the same method, and even the same row of seats as me?”
“The longer we stay in the Blood Moon, the greater the danger,” Langna said. “Do you also think this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance? Besides, now that I’ve found you here, I certainly can’t miss it.”
Ronald agreed, “Absolutely.”
Harvey confirmed, “Definitely want to leave with Ashe.”
Ashe was taken aback, “Why?”
They didn’t speak but all turned to look at Igor. Igor had been grinning at Ashe, his right hand pressing firmly on Ashe’s shoulder as if afraid his prey would escape.
Ashe felt a chill run down his spine, swallowed hard, and cleared his throat before speaking earnestly, “I’m not actually opposed to us working together. After all, we have a history of escaping from prison as a team, we know each other well, and we have a foundation of trust and cooperation. Working together naturally doubles our effectiveness. But since we are comrades with a common goal, we should cooperate sincerely, present a united front, not hold each other back, and certainly not scheme against each other. Don’t you agree?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“Ashe is right!”
“No wonder he’s the Cult Leader, he speaks with such authority.”
Igor was nodding repeatedly, looking very much in agreement, and then he held up three fingers: “So, dear Cult Leader, would you like to be in charge of drawing attention, creating a gap for me to escape, or serving as bait?”
“Don’t make me choose such a cruel multiple choice! And aren’t all three options the same?” Ashe growled in a low voice, “At least give me a way out, considering I made the greatest contribution to the escape effort!”
“Bullshit!” Harvey cursed directly: “It was me who made the greatest contribution. Without me, how could you have controlled the Prison Guards?”
“Necromancer, I can’t let that comment slide,” Langna said calmly. “Had I not cleared the Hunters and sailors on the Transport Ship, how could the plan have gone so smoothly?”
“The escape route was my design,” Ronald interjected. “If I hadn’t thoroughly investigated the Area from Shattered Lake Prison to Kaimon City, how could we possibly have avoided all the Camera Eyes and arrived in Kaimon City without drawing any attention?”
“Hey, hey, hey, are you guys confused about your roles?” Igor’s eyebrows twitched violently, “The Escape Plan was my creation, and without my brilliant mind, all of you would still be stinking up Shattered Lake! You’re just limbs in action; I am the brain in command. Would you really place the credit of a toenail over that of the brain?”
Outside, there was a storm of bullets, flames, and ice, with occasional explosions; inside the tent, it was a war of words. Those idiots were actually arguing about who was the MVP of the escape, completely lacking any self-awareness. Ashe despaired for his journey of escape.
What was even more terrifying was that Ashe couldn’t escape from Igor’s clutches, because the latter still held a wish of his.
If Igor wanted to, he could even order Ashe to go out and do handstands to draw attention. In reality, this Bewitcher was only capable of coming up with even more vicious plans—such as commanding Ashe to intercept Langna, Ronald, and Harvey, causing a ruckus to buy time for the bad guys to escape.
If we run into any danger later, Igor will definitely not hesitate to command Ashe to become a “taunting minion” to draw others’ attention. That’s why Harvey, Langna, and Ronald insist on sticking with Ashe—”taunting minions” should be shared by the group. Since Ashe is going to be sacrificed anyway, why not cover for three old comrades?
“The Virtual Realm told me, I can definitely escape from the Blood Moon.”
The arguing in the tent suddenly ceased. Ashe shook off Igor’s hand from his shoulder, looked around, and said indifferently, “I’ve participated in Destiny’s Inquiry, and one of the questions was about how to escape from the Blood Moon Kingdom. That means the Virtual Realm is convinced I can successfully get away.”
“If you want to stick with me, I don’t mind, but I advise you to drop the idea of using me as a human shield and genuinely protect me.”
Ashe spoke with firm resolve: “I can miss this chance, there’s always a second time, a third time, but you might not have the same luxury.”
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