MoP: Ch. 153

---Viktor's POV---

Booze stared at me wordlessly.

I handed the list to Booze and restarted my wheelchair.

"Don't worry. Consuming a large amount of enhancement items in a short period will, at most, push your body's absorption to its limit and overdraw your innate potential. There's no real downside."

Booze's eyes widened. "Overdrawing potential isn't a downside?!"

"With enhancement materials of this quality, you're nowhere near your absorption limit."

I came up with an example to help the players understand their physical absorption threshold.

"In the original Elven Forest of Firenzé, there was a unique Elven Mother Tree, blessed by the Goddess of Life herself. It was also the source of the first-generation elves."

"The Mother Tree regularly gathers the life essence of the entire Firenzé and condenses it into the Fountain of Life."

"You'd have to drink at least two tons of that spring water in half an hour to hit your absorption limit."

Booze's jaw dropped. "That powerful?!"

I nodded.

"While those who pass the trial in the left corridor will be seriously trained by the casino... It's actually the right corridor's shallow, rushed advancement method that suits you better."

The right corridor served as the public face, those in it held high-ranking external positions and appeared powerful on the surface. But the hidden side effects wouldn't impact them as players at all.

Booze clapped his hands together.

"No wonder Edgar told us to take the right path, it's all benefits!"

"We thought it was a bug in the system and we were about to be like those poor souls whose SAN values suddenly dropped to zero and got forcibly logged out of the server!"

"SAN value hit zero?" I asked back.

Booze nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, you didn't know? Lately in the game... uh, I mean, in the organization, some really nasty errors have been happening."

"Several comrades got forcibly returned to the other world while just walking down the street."

"We tried to report it to the comrades managing the transit channel, but the damn devs... uh, I mean, those comrades, never responded."

He kept throwing suggestive glances, hoping the game's intelligent AI would catch on and pass the message along.

"We're sure it was a data anomaly, those guys didn't do anything to trigger it. Their SAN value just dropped to zero out of nowhere."

I only smiled and stayed silent.

The SAN value system I designed contained a fragment of divine power. While there might be small inaccuracies in minor data points, when it came to major events like a SAN wipe, it was never wrong.

As for why other players hadn't realized the truth... it could only mean, they had killed someone. And not just anyone, but innocent civilians who bore no malice toward them.

The situation in Nary Town was complex. All it took was tagging someone as "a local gang informant" to erase most players' suspicions. Unfortunately... their lies couldn't fool the SAN system.

I had already anticipated the existence of such players when they first stepped out of Honeyvale Town. In a way, players and monsters were essentially the same kind of creature.

Monsters needed to feed on sentient beings to survive; and players gained far more experience from killing intelligent beings than from training alone. Even though I had filtered the players who qualified for the game, there would always be some who couldn't suppress their inner greed.

What I wanted was to use Earth's rules to change Aeltia, not to turn Earth into a second Aeltia.

Red-name players, criminals, could be killed at will, but white-names innocents, must be protected. That was my unshakable principle.

People from an era of peace shouldn't have to stain their hands with innocent blood.

Once the data between Nary Town and Honeyvale Town was synced, and I got hold of the offline logs, the truth would naturally come to light.

I changed the subject.

"Other than that, is there anything else?"

"Ah, that..." Booze's thoughts immediately went off track. "We're hoping you can help deal with a potentially level 80 Magus."

I glanced at my own level, 71, and paused before speaking.

"Why would you think of asking me to handle it?"

Booze answered without hesitation, "Because we went to Edgar, and he said he ate something, something about breakthroughs and getting rid of prayer side effects or whatever..."

"Basically, it means he can't help with missions right now."

"So, the strongest combat force in our faction currently is you, of course we came to you!"

As he spoke, he even glanced at my shoulder.

"Surely we're not going to send the Light Goddess, right?"

Luminaris, who had begun to understand social cues, swelled in fury at that look, his entire light sphere grew a size larger. He stomped his tiny foot on my shoulder.

"He's definitely badmouthing me! I saw the disdain in his eyes!"

I gently calmed the protesting Luminaris with my hand.

After a long moment of thought, I finally responded.

"I won't be going to Nary Town in person. And I also don't believe they have the power to command a Magus."

The level-60-plus Archmage who had died on the Frostwind Plains once caused Nary Town's mayor to frantically raise taxes. If they had the support of a Magus from the start, would they have needed to beg the capital for help?

Most likely, this "Magus" was drawn in by rumors of the sirens. Those old monsters love to spectate, but if you actually ask them to fight, they'll vanish faster than anyone.

If such a person really showed up in Nary Town, then the players wouldn't just be facing a Magus, they'd be dealing with much worse.

"I already gave a player a Shadow Contract Stone. With that, it's enough. Edgar won't ignore you."

"Uhh..." Booze dragged out the syllable hesitantly.

Just then, I arrived at my destination.

I ignored the crowd of players who had rushed over after hearing rumors passed along by Booze, as well as the comments like:

"Whoa, it really is a public shaming parade!"

"Trying to mess with Viktor? Legendary move!"

"Even NPCs have dreams of promotion!"

All kinds of emotional or ridiculous chatter filled the air.

I began shooing them away.

"Any other questions? I need to deal with the one behind you first."

Booze perked up instantly and moved aside.

"Right this way!"

---Third POV---

It was currently dinnertime. But in the dungeon, where day and night don't really matter, it felt more like morning.

Elegant candelabras, a dining table decorated with fresh flowers, what was considered a luxurious feast in Nary Town... and for the first time in the game, Garble saw a real crystal wine glass.

It was clear the host had gone to great lengths to prepare, it was undoubtedly meant to be a fancy candlelit dinner.

Unfortunately, he couldn't feel happy at all. In fact, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Sigh."

Another round of torment was beginning...

He pretended to fold his napkin, but in truth, his eyes were glued to the game interface just past it. The last message in the private chat was from half an hour ago.

It was from NeverShowOff, who had said that Viktor had regained consciousness, and someone had already been sent to seek Viktor's help. Maybe, he could solve NeverShowOff's current predicament.

But, it's been over 30 minutes already. Why was there still no progress on that side?

"What's wrong, darling?"

A lazy voice drifted over.

Sitting directly across from him was a mature woman whose beauty bordered on the otherworldly.

Deep sapphire vertical pupils, and semi-transparent fin-like ears peeking through her violet hair…

Clearly, she was a siren.

He didn't even flinch.

He'd already heard this sickly sweet nickname for two days straight, he was immune now.

This was the "client" the casino boss said he had to "have dinner with."

Without showing any emotion, he closed his game panel and looked up with a friendly expression.

"It's nothing. I'm just really touched."

He set his napkin aside, not forgetting to offer praise.

"Dinner looks great."

The siren across from him continued smiling.

But in his ear, a harsh alarm blared.

[Warning! Target's mood has dropped. Preliminary assessment: failed to meet the target's expectations, hurt her feelings!]
[Please rephrase within 3 seconds and compliment the effort she put into preparing the surprise dinner!]
[3… 2…]

Garble's smile froze.

What the hell!

What? "Great" doesn't count as a compliment?!

That was the highest praise in his vocabulary. Besides "great," all he had left was "awesome." What more did they want?

Before he could say anything else, the same genderless voice sounded in his ear again.

[Time's up! Due to passive resistance, issuing Level 1 punishment: Electric Shock!]

"Clang!"

Garble's hand suddenly twitched as if shocked, and the silverware clattered to the ground.

The siren across from him instantly looked alarmed. She stood up and tried to check on him.

"Darling, are you okay?"

Her violet hair fell across the table. Her arms reached out to support his head.

"Tss!"

Still grimacing from the electric jolt, Garble looked up and saw her hand coming toward him.

Siren alert blaring in his brain.

"No need, I'll do it myself!"

[Your tone was harsh. The target is hurt. Issuing Level 1 Warning!]

"I mean… sorry to trouble you." He gritted his teeth and corrected himself.

[The target sensed your reluctance. Issuing Level 1 Warning!]

Head still buzzing from the shock, he changed his words again.

"It's really wonderful having you here."

[The target is pleased, but after approaching you, she didn't see love in your eyes. Issuing Level 2 Warning: Burn!]

What the FUCKING FUCK!

The siren barely touched his skin before recoiling from the heat.

"Darling, your body is burning up!"

Garble, whose skin was starting to give off a meaty aroma: "…It's fine. Totally normal."

He tried to give her the same look he had the first time he saw a 12.7mm anti-materiel rifle, as he gazed at the siren.

"Don't wor...tsss... ry about me, gck... I'll be... psshh... fine soon."

His hand kept twitching midair like a short-circuited machine.

This system had bound itself to him the moment he encountered the violet-haired siren, without anyone asking for his consent.

The system's mission: Successfully win the siren's heart. No reward for success. Failure equals death.

Any mood swing from the siren could be deemed "dereliction of duty" and trigger punishment.

Worse than the most exploitative sweatshop!

So far, his worst punishment had been Level 3: random numbness in a body part.

None of the first three punishment levels crossed the game's pain threshold yet.

So he had to grit his teeth and endure.

By the time new silverware was brought in, he was already more cooked than the medium-rare steak on his plate.

No problem. He could take it.

He showered the siren with sweet talk, proactively cut up her steak, and even fed her bites himself.

At long last, the meal was over.

[Target's affection increased. Reward: Residual effects of electric shock cleared!]

The lingering numbness finally faded from his body, and he let out a heavy sigh.

The torture was finally coming to an end.

He wiped the charred soot off his hand with a napkin.

Before the violet-haired siren could get up, he walked around to her, extended his right hand, and offered a polite smile.

"May I have the honor of walking through the garden with such a beautiful lady?"

Since NeverShowOff hadn't sent any updates yet, he had no choice but to figure out how to deal with this twisted system himself.

The siren raised her brows in pleasant surprise at his rare initiative.

She lightly curled her fingers and placed them gently on his hand.

"Of course."

[Target's affection increased. Reward: One smile from the target!]

"..."

He no longer had any hope for the system's so-called "rewards."

As long as he could achieve his goal, that was enough.

They called it a "garden," but in truth, it was just a landscaped greenhouse inside the Scarlet Casino.

It was filled with rare flora that could survive under an underground artificial sun.

Only the most distinguished guests were allowed inside.

Garble racked his brain to come up with conversation topics, managing to make the siren laugh again and again.

"You're the most witty and charming human I've ever met."

Garble's face was nearly stuck in a forced smile as he nodded in response.

"To receive the approval of a beautiful lady… I'd willingly face a monster tide alone."

Total nonsense. Who'd believe something that exaggerated?

He cast a skeptical glance at the game panel.

On it, LootGoblin had solemnly promised that this line would work for sure.

Clearly, he was right.

The siren beside him laughed even more brightly, her eyes glowing as she tilted her head and gazed at him.

Then she slowly rose on her tiptoes, her face drawing closer and closer.

Garble panicked. He tried to resist.

He shut his eyes and quietly convinced himself, This is all to deal with the system!

Still… he had to admit, for someone who lived in water, her lung capacity was insane.

He quietly marveled in his mind.

If only her emotions were more stable.

On the way to the garden alone, he'd heard no less than 20 system warnings.

[Target feels sad not being part of your past. Level 1 Warning!]

[Target feels distant from you. Level 2 Warning!]

[Target is depressed about the reality of your different races. Level 1 Warning!]

No matter what negative emotion she felt, he was always the one punished. Even during an intimate moment like this, the sharp voice in his ear wouldn't shut up.

[Target delighted by your awkwardness. Affection +3.]

[Target felt pain. Believes you're only attracted to her beauty. Mood depressed. Level 1 Warning.]

Garble, once again shocked numb: "..."

After they parted, the siren's cheeks were tinged red, her gaze full of affection.

He felt the moment was right and seized the opportunity.

"Everything I feel for you is genuine. Maybe… these obstacles between us don't really matter at all?"

Hearing that, the siren's smile froze, and the sweetness in her eyes vanished.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean to tell you, my love for you is pure."

He looked into her eyes.

"I'm just a mid-level mage. Do you really think I'm capable of lying to you?"

The siren's face showed a trace of inner conflict.

Garble's heart stirred.

Oh damn, this system bound to me really is connected to her!