"Protocol approved. Executing Scorched Earth Tactics."
Sam unleashed his ultimate once again!
Guinaifen's heart skipped a beat.
Every time she saw this skill effect—
Sam descending from the heavens wreathed in apocalyptic flames—
It felt like he was about to punch through the screen and obliterate the player controlling the game...
In previous battles, the most visually spectacular fight was probably against Phantylia.
The way she crushed a star in her palm was genuinely awe-inspiring.
That was a cosmic-scale kind of shock—something beyond ordinary combat.
But Sam's ultimate?
It was the complete opposite!
It took raw power and destruction to its most visceral extreme!
In fact—Guinaifen was genuinely surprised!
"How the hell are my characters still alive after that?!"
"Just barely hanging on?!"
"This is a miracle!"
Of course, most of the credit went to Luocha's healing.
Without him, her entire team would've been wiped out long ago.
This time, Guinaifen had decent luck—Though her entire squad was on the brink of death, no one had fallen yet.
And Sam's HP was already at its limit.
Just as she was about to land the final blow—Sam's health locked at 1%.
Guinaifen knew what this meant:
Plot trigger!
When Sam's turn came again, he unleashed another ring of blazing fire.
His mechanical voice echoed:
"Very well..."
The battle transitioned into a cutscene!
BOOM!!!
Black Swan's attack was effortlessly dodged by Sam.
Then—Acheron appeared from behind, her blade slashing downward!
Sam evaded again, using the momentum to create distance.
Suddenly—His gaze locked onto Stelle, who was standing nearby clutching her baseball bat.
His thrusters ignited!
In an instant, he blitzed toward her, arm outstretched—
As if targeting the weakest link...
Or perhaps trying to take her away!
Thankfully—Acheron intervened with a counterattack!
The close-up of this moment made Guinaifen gasp:
"Wait—Acheron still hasn't UNSHEATHED her blade?!"
"She's STILL holding back?!"
After repelling Sam, Acheron pressed her advantage.
Just as Stelle moved to assist—Black Swan blocked her path.
"Leave the stage to them, dear," she said softly.
A playing card materialized in her hand.
With a flash of light—Stelle was teleported to another space entirely!
Clutching her bat, she stood there, utterly bewildered.
Then—
A mocking laugh echoed.
"Heh... hehehe..."
"What a splendid performance."
Seated casually atop a broken pillar was—Aventurine!
,,,,,,
"HOLY—!"
"AVENTURINE?!"
"What the hell's happening?!"
"Why does it feel like the MC's getting played?!"
"Nooo! I wanted to see Acheron vs. Sam!"
"Oh no! Black Swan backstabbed us!"
"Tricked by another mature beauty... damn it!"
"I can't follow anymore!"
"Who's even the good guy here?!"
"Aventurine's face is pure scheming!"
"Did Black Swan collude with Aventurine?!"
...
The intense battle had suddenly turned into a spy thriller!
Guinaifen was just as lost as Stelle in the game.
Aventurine stepped out of the shadows, wearing a smug, knowing smile.
"Well done, Memokeeper—"
"A masterful display of 'setting the wolves upon each other.'"
"When I saw a Galaxy Ranger and a Stellaron Hunter in the same room, I was genuinely concerned... yet you managed to pit them against one another flawlessly."
Guinaifen scratched her head.
To her, Aventurine was obviously the villain—He might as well have "I'm evil" tattooed on his forehead!
She couldn't help but complain:
"That 'scheme succeeded' smirk is INFURIATING!"
"So from Aventurine's words..."
"Making Acheron and Sam fight was PART OF THEIR PLAN?!"
Black Swan remained as composed as ever.
"As agreed, I've brought this child before you. The transaction is complete."
Guinaifen's last hope died on the spot.
This line confirmed their alliance.
She almost felt bad for the in-game protagonist:
"Poor little gray-haired MC, toyed with like a puppet..."
But Aventurine just smiled and said:
"If anything, friend, you should thank this lady. Far from scheming against you—she SAVED you..."
He stepped closer to Stelle, his expression ominously knowing.
"...From that so-called 'Galaxy Ranger.'"
The entire audience—both in-game and out—exploded in shock!
...
"WHAT?!"
"Acheron?!"
"Weren't we just fighting Sam?!"
"I NEVER thought Acheron was on our side!"
"Did people really think traveling together made her an ally?!"
"We still don't know who released 'What Is Dead'!"
"Acheron and Sam are BOTH wild cards. Playing them against each other was genius!"
"Sure, Acheron's shady—but Aventurine's trustworthy?!"
"Let's be real—EVERYONE in Penacony's scheming except the Express Crew!"
"I can't take it! I wanna punch Penacony into oblivion!"
Aventurine crossed his arms, radiating smug superiority.
"Let's speak plainly, friend."
"This woman—'Acheron'—is far more than she appears. A 'Galaxy Ranger'? Please."
He paused, his tone turning deadly serious:
"—She is an Emanator. She brings death... and finality."
...
The entire playerbase ERUPTED.
"CONFIRMED! IT'S CONFIRMED!"
"If AVENTURINE says it, it's TRUE!"
"Key phrases: 'death and finality'..."
"So 'Something Unto Death' IS connected to Acheron?!"
"Prison Duke didn't die in vain!"
"Originally, the Penacony boss was the Duke of Inferno—but Acheron killed him early and TOOK HIS PLACE!"
"This was supposed to be Hard Mode, but now it's HELL MODE!"
"Someone get Jing Yuan from the Luofu!!"
Guinaifen was equally hyped and nervous.
The story was finally addressing Acheron's true nature!
The biggest question now was—
[Emanator? Of WHICH Aeon?]
Aventurine answered:
"Perhaps the 'Hunt'... 'Destruction'... or even 'Finality.' It doesn't matter. All these Paths share one inevitable outcome."
"Let me share some Intel with you, friend. You know of the 'Duke of Inferno'—Avidity of Fetora, yes?"
Of course I do! I even watched his family's PV! Guinaifen thought.
She selected the first dialogue option: [I've fought him before.]
"Impressive! Then I'll keep it brief..."
"This 'Duke of Inferno' was a flame demon from Fetora—an elemental lifeform, rumored to have ties to a certain genius..."
"Who knows what the Family was thinking, or if someone manipulated things, but these fiends actually received an invitation. The Everflame Mansion naturally accepted, arriving with grand ambitions to reduce the Festival Star to ashes..."
"But don't worry. They never made it. Want to know why?"
He leaned in, his voice dripping with dark amusement.
"—Because Avidity is dead."
The murder of the Duke of Inferno was now irrefutable fact, both in and out of the game.
Many players had suspected Sparkle initially.
But now—The true culprit was finally being revealed through the story.
"They were wiped out en route. The killer slaughtered Avidity in a manner so brutal it defied belief, then stole the Annihilation Gang's invitation. The Everflame Mansion collapsed, its members scattering like rats..."
"And afterward? A mysterious 'Galaxy Ranger' arrived in Penacony, checking into the hotel with nothing but a music box... Shall I continue, friend?"
As the Duke of Inferno was mentioned again, the livestream chat erupted in mock mourning:
"Gone but not forgotten!"
"The Duke's ambitions were cut short!"
"Prison Duke: I have no objections."
"Who killed the Duke of Inferno—"
"It all adds up now!"
"The Duke attends the feast... as a Relic!"
"Who knew the Duke would be Penacony's sole source of joy?!"
"The only thing that's made me laugh since Firefly's death..."
"STOP BULLYING THE PRISON DUKE! He was an Emanator of Elation! Y'all better not joke about this ever again!"
To be continued…