Leon was lounging at the rooftop café of a hotel that night, with Freya sitting across from him. It just so happened to be a Saturday night. While Lily was out with her friends, here he was, accompanied by the super assistant, Freya.
For the most part, they spent the evening in silence-Leon sipping his drink, nibbling on food, and lost in thought as the background music played. It was clear that his recent in-game activities, particularly the Hell expedition, had drained him, making a relaxing evening like this much needed.
“So… do you think Marlene might start hunting you down after all this?” Freya finally broke the silence, cutting a piece of cake with her fork and taking a bite.
“Yes,” Leon sighed. “What do you think I should do, Freya?”
“Running was the right call,” she replied. “In your current state, without your gear, I don’t think you’d stand a chance against her. And I agree with your decision to keep this under wraps for now. If too many people find out you’ve received more blessings than others, they’ll come after you, and that could be very bad news.”
“Yes, I think so too,” he replied. “If they knew my current level, it would definitely raise a lot of questions. Especially since not all members of the Shadow Wolves trust me.”
Freya giggled at his words. “Can’t blame them. In their eyes, you’re still an enemy, you know? The fact that they even let you join this expedition is already something.”
Broken nodded and then continued, “So, what about that important thing you mentioned from the Ass Guild?”
Freya nodded back and then began recounting in detail her conversation with Elincia and the others.
After hearing the details from Freya about the Envy Champion and the possibility of the Divine Champion status could be transferred to anyone else, Broken started to contemplate how such a thing could be possible.
“I’m going to try to figure out how the status of a Divine Champion could be transferred,” he said. “Though it seems foolish for anyone to willingly give that up. The value of such a status is immense.”
Freya responded, “That happened to you, as someone who’s been showered with too many blessings. For some people, without enough support, holding the status of Divine Champion can become a burden. That’s why strong backing from alliance, or guild is crucial-so that a Divine Champion isn’t easily overwhelmed by pressure from others.”
“I mean, if the status of Divine Champion really can be transferred, wouldn’t people like Goldrich benefit from that, given his money?” Broken mused. “He could just bribe specific Divine Champions with the abilities he needs and have them hand those powers over to him.” Freya giggled. “I think after hearing this news, Elincia and the others are likely already plotting how to hunt for the Divine Champion status from other players. This transfer of the Envy Champion status will only make Divine Champions feel even more cornered. That’s why I think you’re absolutely right to keep all of this hidden for now.”
The realization that the status of Divine Champion could be transferred to someone else, coupled with the possibility that the infiltrator in the Hell expedition might be on his side, along with other pressing matters, made Leon feel the need to address everything one step at a time. His first priority was to ensure that Marlene wouldn’t pursue him. So, after taking the necessary time to prepare, he logged back into Immortal Legacy.
He found himself logging back in to his inn room. Yes, he had managed to escape the Fight Club Tower quickly, using every movement ability at his disposal and combining them with his stealth skills. He had made it back to his room and logged out from there. As he scanned the room, he saw no signs that anyone had entered. Cautiously, he approached the door and opened it slowly-no one was there.
It seemed Marlene and Subaru hadn’t been able to track him here or figure out that Void Reaper was, in fact, him. He let out a sigh of relief. Then, he checked his list of private messages, finding several from Subaru.
“Broken, it looks like we’ve found someone who might be the infiltrator in our expedition. Marlene and the others are hunting them down. Please let us know when you’re back online.” Broken nodded to himself as he saw that the message had been sent just a few minutes ago, which meant they were likely still searching. Or was this all just a trap? Whatever the case, he knew he had to be as cautious as possible.
“Let me know if you find them-I’ll be there right away,” he replied to the message.
But why would Blade Phantom likely be on his side? Broken didn’t know anything about this person. It was the first time he’d even heard of them while in Hell, and he had no idea who they were or what they were like.
The people he knew were limited to Booba, RememberMe and their team, and Elincia and the Guild. If Blade Phantom was indeed an assassin class, the only one he was familiar with was Charmelyn, and Freya had already confirmed she was in Slumdon.
Shaking his head, Broken decided to spend some time supplying the demon egg with his Mana while waiting for an update from Subaru.
Considering that Marlene was already suspicious of Void Reaper, it seemed like continuing his adventures in the Fight Club Tower would be off the table for now. He sighed, disappointed that just as he was gaining fans and starting to build a reputation, he might have to lay low. But then he chuckled to himself, thinking that having a good reputation in Hell could be a bonus for him, after all.
Maybe he could still climb the tower, staying on high alert in case Marlene showed up again. He had to find a way to continue. Reaching the 10th floor would at least be satisfying for him.
Or perhaps he could return here in the future to explore more of Hell. But to do that, he needed to figure out an easier way to come back.
Just then, a notification from the egg came out.
[The Fetus, bored with the same Mana over and over. It needs Mana from higher creatures, a royal, something slightly above lesser creatures.]
Broken furrowed his brow. A royal and higher creature? What does that even mean?
He tried supplying his Mana again, but the egg rejected it. The progress was still stuck at 78%, and with the limited time he had left in this place, he worried that he wouldn’t be able to
fulfill the progress in time.
Higher-status creatures? What does that even mean? A royal family member? Like a king or something? His mind raced with questions.
Damn, how was he supposed to find something like that in a place like this? And on top of that, convince them to supply Mana to a freaking egg?!
“Hey little friend, I’m a Divine Champion, my Mana has a nice flavor. You should drink it all up, okay? I promise it won’t do you any harm,” he said, trying to coax the egg as he attempted to supply his Mana again-only to be rejected.
Damn it! Where could he possibly find higher creatures or some kind of royalty in Hell?
Anyway, later tonight, he and the others were going to attend the auction. Could it be possible to find what he needed there? But getting someone or something-to supply Mana? That seemed like a stretch.
Just then, another private message came through-it was from Subaru.
“Broken, come here, we’ve found the Blade Phantom,” the message read.