Chapter 281 - Dissolution
The mention of a method made everyone’s eyes widen.
"Is there a way to team kill?"
"But it's a method only I can use. It's impossible for others."
"Ah..."
A look of disappointment crossed the believers' faces.
It seemed they really didn’t want to help the angels.
"Sorry, but team killing is impossible. Don’t underestimate the system."
They might have hoped to find a way to team kill by exploiting system flaws, but indirect methods don't work.
In this world, the system's rules are absolute.
If they are set as allies, there’s no way to undo it by any means.
"Except if you don’t use the right to change factions."
Using the temporary skill obtained as a reward for being the first allows you to change factions alone.
This means you can fight on the side of the demons instead of the angels.
"If the demons win, then I could survive too."
Since victory for the same team is considered overcoming, it’s not necessary to stay with the angels.
The core of the skill is to move to the team that seems more likely to win depending on the situation, like a bat.
In short, the skill suggests betraying your companions.
"But I know it won’t work. No matter how much you try to survive alone by abandoning your companions, you’ll eventually get caught in round 20."
To enter a boss room that requires more than five people, it's better to take as many people as possible in round 20.
It’s better to disappear than to survive alone by joining the demon team.
"However, I chose this skill only to team kill the angels. There’s no other reason."
That’s why it was necessary to clarify this in advance at this moment.
It would be quite surprising if I suddenly started killing angels alone.
"Do you want to kill the angels?"
"Why not? Isn’t that what we should do?"
"It’s not that, but..."
Angels can be considered enemies of humanity.
Since they are participants in the survival game, they are responsible for killing billions of humans.
Therefore, everyone wanted the angels to be hit, but...
"Ironically, the mission of round 18 is to lead the war with the angels to victory."
That was why people were confused.
Killing angels who are on the same side would be nothing more than a useless reduction in their own survival chances.
Of course, for Ryu Min, who has the blessing of the devil, there’s a great benefit.
"Don’t worry. Killing a few angels won’t lead to defeat in the war. I will ensure victory no matter what."
If these words were spoken by a child shepherd, they wouldn’t be credible, but the person speaking was Black Scythe.
Everyone nodded without doubt at his confident statement, based on his actions so far.
There were even people murmuring like irrational fanatics.
Ryu Min then explained how they could win the war.
It wasn’t particularly surprising information.
He just mentioned the characteristics of the demons and how they should be cautious of certain individuals.
"... That's all I know about the strategies. Thanks for listening, now everyone can disperse."
When Ryu Min stepped down from the podium, people dispersed, looking at their phones, busy booking return flights.
Some touched the air while moving their eyes back and forth.
They were closely observing the God-ranked items they hadn't noticed while listening to the strategy.
"Wow... this is really God-ranked..."
People couldn't help but sigh at the incomparable options with other items.
Even the religious leader Heo Taeseok was no exception.
"Increases the number of black arrows, damage, and projection speed by 50%? Is he completely crazy?"
The options of the God-ranked armor set [Tunic of Moros] that he created were incredible.
He could boast that it was by far the most powerful item he had seen so far.
Not only that, under the information of one of the items, it was written "Effect of the Moros Outfit Set (1/5)".
"If more than two God-ranked items are made, you get the set effect?"
What if there was another such incredible item?
He could become as powerful as Black Scythe.
He couldn't help but feel eager when the player's value was linked to strength.
"Do you need condensed ether to make God-ranked items? It seems I need that item..."
He didn't know how to get it, but if he did, Black Scythe would surely provide the rest of the materials as he is doing now.
Then, he could obtain the set effect 2.
"Where can I get condensed ether? Should I ask Black Scythe?"
He closed the item window and remained thoughtful when his eyes met those of an unfortunate person.
It was Alex Pearson.
"You damn son of...".
Despite this repulsive individual glancing at him and then looking away.
Seeing how he blatantly ignored him, he felt anger rise in his head.
"How dare a commoner ignore a religious leader?"
Although the misunderstanding of the previous incident was resolved, the animosity did not easily disappear, and the same went for Alex.
They hadn't spoken since then, but it was obvious at first glance.
How could the contemptuous look and the atmosphere of ignoring you be described?
"I should have taken that from that bastard."
If he had known that condensed ether was so valuable, he wouldn't have hesitated to take it from Alex.
While Heo Taeseok thought regretfully, Seo Arin, looking around nervously, was searching for someone.
"Oh, here you are. Min Juri."
"Huh? Seo Arin the actress? Were you looking for me?"
"Yes. I wanted to ask you something."
"With me?"
When Min Juri looked at her curiously, Seo Arin spoke.
"Have you seen the Prophet?"
"Uh, I haven't seen him..."
"You're friends, right? Didn't you come together?"
"Yes. I asked him to come with me, but he declined my invitation. He said he'd come alone, but I don't know if he's here."
"You don't know if he's in the church?"
Looking at Seo Arin with a puzzled look, Min Juri asked:
"But why are you looking for me?"
"Because you’re a neighbor. I'm worried because your house was destroyed. But the real reason is..."
Seo Arin, who had been hesitating to say it while wiping her lips, grabbed Min Juri's arm and took her to a secluded place where there was no one.
"Why, what's up?"
Looking around before speaking, Seo Arin finally opened her mouth.
"I think the Prophet is acting strangely."
"What? Strange? What do you mean by that?"
"Following them is impossible. Although I clearly know their names and faces, I can't find their location."
"......".
"If you don’t believe me, try it now. Even if they said it didn’t match even at the end of the speech, it will surely be so...".
While speaking, Seo Arin noticed something strange in the middle of her words.
Min Juri's expression, which should have been surprised, had changed to one of reflection.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, it's just that...".
"Do you know something?"
As if she had been pricked, Min Juri raised her eyebrows.
'He seems honest, as if he couldn't lie...'.
Physiognomy is truly a science.
"If you know something, please tell me."
At Seo Arin’s question, Min Juri sighed as if she couldn't help it.
"It's a secret... you won’t say it anywhere else, right?"
"Of course not."
"I also talked to Min about this issue recently. We can't track him, what's going on?"
"And then?"
Although Seo Arin looked with bright eyes, Min Juri moved her hand as if it wasn't a big deal.
"It seems there are runes that interfere with tracking. It seems they are runes that can block the tracking of other people when necessary."
"Ah, I see...".
As if the secret had been resolved, Seo Arin nodded.
"I understand if it's like that."
"You see, it's not a big deal, right?"
"But the question doesn’t end there."
"What else is there?"
"It's been months since I joined the Church of the Four Gods, but haven't you seen the Prophet's face? Did the Prophet really join the Church of the Four Gods?"
Min Juri responded as if she had a reason for it.
"I asked him the same. He said he did join. But he just put his name, barely participated...".
"The number of people is the same. But he didn’t participate?"
Min Juri quickly responded to the next question.
As she herself had the same doubt last month, it was easy to explain.
"It seems that when the Prophet’s occupation is revealed, for fear of confusion among people, he hides his identity and uses an alias."
"But, is it only limited to that? Wasn't there other stories?"
"There were other things I didn’t understand, but... it's nothing you should worry about."
"What things?"
"They were just simple jokes. Don’t worry about it."
Although she told her not to worry, when someone tries to hide something, people naturally want to know more.
"Instead, tell me. What jokes did the Prophet make?"
Faced with her persistent insistence, Min Juri had no choice but to respond to Seo Arin's request.
"He said something absurd like he was Black Scythe."
"What?"
Seo Arin asked, surprised by a fact she had never considered.
"So... did the Prophet say he... was Black Scythe and that’s why he couldn't be found?... Is that what he said?"
"Is that so? If he didn't want to say it, he should have just said he didn’t want to... Why would he make such a silly joke...?"
Although Min Juri complained, Seo Arin did not perceive that in her ears.
'The Prophet and Black Scythe are the same person?'
Seo Arin took those words seriously instead of dismissing them as a joke.
She knew that the Prophet was not the type to make unnecessary jokes.
"Now that I think about it, I have never seen them standing together."
Although physically or personally you couldn't consider them the same person, Seo Arin didn’t take that comment lightly.
"Maybe... he could have been telling the truth."
Can it be asserted that there is no skill to change appearance when you can resurrect the dead with your skills?
"What if we assume they led a double life by changing their appearance? It would solve all doubts about the Prophet."
Although Seo Arin seriously thought the Prophet could be Black Scythe, Min Juri's reaction was different.
"Don’t you think it’s strange even for your master? Joking that way..."
"Don't you trust the Prophet?"
"Of course not. How could I trust when they have different appearances?"
"Have you never considered that appearance can be changed?"
"Even so, people have personalities. It’s not like Jekyll and Hyde, right? They both have completely different personalities."
"Even if they disguised themselves to appear that way..."
Min Juri raised her hand as if what Seo Arin was saying was absurd.
"Do you think I don’t know Min because we were classmates in high school? He’s not someone who can hide something."
"..."
Seo Arin spoke so firmly that Seo Arin had no more words.
"Don’t they say that people see what they want to see?"
If there’s a rainbow, people tend to see only the colors they want to see.
If one believes that, there’s not much you can do about it.
It’s not something that can change just because others say it.
"Trying to change it would be meddlesome."
That's why Seo Arin decided not to worry if Min Juri believed or didn’t believe.
What mattered was that the Prophet could be Black Scythe.
"I have to check it."
Seo Arin's eyes turned to where Black Scythe had disappeared.
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