Taming the Protagonist

Volume 3

Chapter 28: The Revolutionary Army’s Long-Term Plan……

As the nail the Revolutionary Army had planted inside Strife Fortress, Bone Knife and Fire Red Eagle were mixed in among the crowded mass of adventurers, and they too were one of the participants in this selection tournament.

“That Mibaita……” The two were secretly transmitting their voices. “You tell me, what exactly was going on?”

“Most likely an impostor, to keep Strife Fortress stable.”

Bone Knife stared fixedly at the young man ruling Strife Fortress above, his expression cold and grim: “They also knew very well that Bayebop couldn’t withdraw right now.”

The New World’s development in the West Kingdom had not been smooth.

Here, ninety-five percent of the extraordinary were adventurers, and adventurers had no interest whatsoever in things like salvation, revolution, overthrowing the Empire, and so on.

In the eyes of adventurers who lived for immediate pleasure, no matter what happened to the Empire, they would still live the same way they always did.

And as for the North Lands, the birthplace of the Revolutionary Army, it had fallen into war across the entire region after declaring independence, and it was also difficult to send more manpower to the West Kingdom.

Even so, Bone Knife and Fire Red Eagle still decided to infiltrate Strife Fortress, preparing to plan a major event.

——They were going to “blow up” Strife Fortress.

Of course, not “explode” in the physical sense, but to cause a drastic upheaval in the territory of the fifth-tier powerhouse Bayebop Leos, the [Whistling Legion]’s base, forcing Bayebop to immediately return to garrison it and withdraw from the great war between Sky Soil and Blood Dust.

The battle between these two Grand Dukes had already entered a white-hot stage.

If it weren’t for ensuring the spoils of war—namely, the integrity of the territory and its residents—fifth-tier extraordinary would have long since entered the battlefield, slaughtering until heaven and earth shattered.

And the mercenaries sent to the battlefield by the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke were absolutely the most vile and malicious existences.

If the forces under the two Grand Dukes still had a tiny bit of restraint, then those guys were a pack of hyenas who would not even spare corpses…… In the cities that were breached, in the lines of displaced refugees, every day there were things so horrific they defied description.

The Revolutionary Army, being the weaker side, could not stop this war, but they wanted to reduce the number of victims as much as possible.

Even if one person could be spared from the mercenaries’ poisonous hands, it was worth it.

This was also why, back when Bone Knife and Fire Red Eagle discussed things in the lower district, they said words like “this was only a temporary sacrifice.”

For the New World, choices had always been few. Trading a small number of sacrifices for the salvation of the majority—they had long grown used to it as normal.

It was just that…… because of someone’s actions back then, they now could not even make those small-number sacrifices anymore.

“How were Huangshan and the others preparing?” Bone Knife asked.

The Fire Red Eagle hesitated.

“They’ve already entered as competitors, so…… no one should have discovered anything unusual.”

As he said this, the young man’s expression dimmed: “If it weren’t for that Fenrir causing such a huge commotion, they could've been perfectly hidden in the lower district.”

According to the original plan, after triggering turmoil in the lower district, the Revolutionary Army’s follow-up forces would arrive at Strife Fortress and hide in the lower district, which drew no one’s gaze, waiting quietly for the right moment.

But who knew that woman, who previously had no reputation they’d even heard of, and only in recent times had suddenly risen to fame—like she had appeared out of thin air—【Evil Wolf】Fenrir, would suddenly take control of the entire lower district and impose strict supervision over all extraordinary.

Because they wanted to turn Strife Fortress upside down, the strength of the Revolutionary Army’s follow-up reinforcements was naturally extremely strong.

But that Fenrir was no small matter either, and the Revolutionary Army did not want to take that risk.

Powerhouses were also hard to hide in the upper district.

Bayebop’s woman Indote Vaka was one of the main garrison forces in Strife Fortress.

The Revolutionary Army’s reinforcements had no confidence they could hide properly under Fenrir’s eyes, and naturally had even less confidence they could hide within her line of sight, so they could only infiltrate Strife Fortress under the identity of selection tournament participants.

The remaining [Whistling Legion] members stationed in Strife Fortress were not fools, and what’s more, there was also that Mibaita whose life or death was unknown, deceitful and crafty.

They would certainly be on guard against someone taking advantage of Bayebop’s absence to create chaos——though they might not necessarily think of the Revolutionary Army; the main targets they guarded against were those same peers who also held tournaments.

If they participated in the selection tournament and deliberately lowered their strength, they would be suspected by the [Whistling Legion].

If they held nothing back, they would become the spotlight competitors…… Either way, for the Revolutionary Army, which was preparing to launch a covert raid, it was not a good thing.

But they had no choice. They had never had much of a choice.

——In truth there was still one other choice: to join hands with that Miss Fenrir who looked very kind-hearted. But after investigating everything she had done since appearing in the West Kingdom, everyone unanimously rejected this proposal.

She might be kind, but absolutely, absolutely, absolutely she was a troublemaker who could push things into the worst possible situation.

Otherwise, how could she have been crowned with the title 【Evil Wolf】?

Moreover, the force behind her was absolutely not simple.

The Revolutionary Army’s strength here was limited, but most of it was elite.

Yet in the process of investigating this Fenrir, what they obtained was almost entirely secondhand information. Any direct traces that woman left behind…… it was as if they had evaporated into thin air, as if they had never existed at all.

Naturally, they were unwilling to cooperate with someone so extremely dangerous, whose depth they knew nothing about, and whose brain did not seem to work very well.

“You think……”

In this somewhat oppressive atmosphere, Fire Red Eagle couldn’t help asking, “that one who killed…… theoretically killed Mibaita—will he make a move?”

Under these helpless circumstances with far too many variables, that little genius on their team who had previously posted Mibaita’s bounty gave an extremely abstract proposal.

——To go post another bounty at the [Executioner], requesting the death of some important figure in the [Whistling Legion], thereby drawing the [Whistling Legion]’s attention…… Maybe some unknown adventurer would take it?

This suggestion could, to some extent, be described with the two words “idiotic.”

Under normal circumstances, it would have already been dealt with by military discipline.

But right now they had only two choices: either take the extremely likely risk of exposure, compete under the [Whistling Legion]’s nose, and become the focus.

Or…… or cooperate with that airheaded Fenrir and have her help hide the Revolutionary Army’s main force.

Faced with these two options, Bone Knife chose to grit his teeth and went to post the commission at the [Executioner].

Then on the next day…… he received news that the commission had been accepted.

Hearing Fire Red Eagle’s words, Bone Knife fell silent for a moment, then said somewhat unnaturally, “Since he accepted the commission, then he should…… make a move.”

“But this time isn’t the same as last time. When he killed Mibaita, he didn’t make a sound at all, and whether he really killed him is still hard to say. This time we’re having him act within this period, whether he has the guts is still an unknown”

In the end, there was still a lack of confidence in such a choice.

In Bone Knife’s view, posting a commission at the [Executioner] was not much different from cooperating with Fenrir.

Both were extremely risky actions—if anything, the former was even riskier.

And the reason he was willing to do it in the end was mainly out of a kind of…… repulsion.

A repulsion toward people like Fenrir.

——Those who thought they could bring salvation to everyone, but in fact only made things worse; those self-righteous, high-and-mighty types.

In Bone Knife’s eyes, people like Fenrir were actually no different from Mibaita.

The only difference was that Mibaita knew what he was doing—he knew he was treating commoners as tools to amuse himself.

That evil wolf did not know. She thought she was doing the right thing, yet she did not care about follow-up construction and development, did not care about future stability and people’s livelihoods, and single-mindedly did her so-called salvation—only to end up satisfying her own inner desire for justice.

On top of that, given Fenrir’s various circumstances, as the leader of the action’s preparations, Bone Knife would rather use this method—one that could be called a reckless gamble—to draw the [Whistling Legion]’s attention, than attempt to communicate with Fenrir.

As for that unknown adventurer, they judged he was most likely an enemy of the [Whistling Legion], probably just like them, wanting to use this opportunity to stir something up.

It was just a pity that the [Executioner]’s vice president kept his mouth tightly shut and refused to say who exactly had taken the commission, and they had no way to trace any clues, otherwise they would feel more at ease.

However, they had also prepared for the worst.

Bone Knife deliberately left behind a few traces that could be traced back to them.

If that mysterious adventurer did not exist at all and the [Whistling Legion] was simply fishing, if Mibaita indeed had never died and it was all his setup, then…… let him and Fire Red Eagle, along with the other two weakest Revolutionary Army members, draw away attention, so the strongest reinforcements could ignite Strife Fortress.

They could sacrifice others, and of course they could sacrifice themselves.

More precisely, only with the resolve to sacrifice themselves did they have the coldness to sacrifice others.

“No matter what.” Bone Knife said calmly, “even if we fell into the worst possible situation, Huangshan could still stir Strife Fortress into utter chaos. It was just that none of us would be able to leave here.”

The condition for victory was to both throw Strife Fortress into turmoil, force Bayebop and that pack of hyenas under him to withdraw from the battlefield, and also allow them to retreat unscathed.

But that did not mean that if they could not retreat unscathed, this action would be a failure.

It was merely the difference between total victory and a miserable victory.

“……Then, all you maze realm pioneers, the ninth Strife Selection Tournament…… begin!”

With Mibaita’s loud announcement from the high platform, the crowded throng completely boiled over.

Within the mass of people pressing shoulder to shoulder, many adventurers could be seen soaring directly into the air—some rose with floating spells, others directly stepped on other people’s shoulders to borrow force and leap out.

The first stage of the selection tournament began just like that, officially.

The [Whistling Legion] marked three stable, regularly opening Zero Point Labyrinths within the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke’s territory—ones the [Whistling Legion] had already explored almost completely.

Contestants could choose any one labyrinth gate, step into it, and find the token the [Whistling Legion] had buried inside.

The first one hundred and fifty adventurers would gain the qualification to advance.

At the same time, every territory-city under the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke’s domain began broadcasting the competition.

The very image of the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke was even projected directly at the highest point of the central stands. Apart from spectators, there were countless betting pools and gamblers everywhere…… so the Revolutionary Army tried their best to avoid having their strongest participant compete, not wanting him to become a spotlight competitor, but unfortunately, plans could not keep up with changes.

“It’s been a while since I last came, Strife Fortress has gotten better.”

The projected figure of the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke rested his cheek on one hand, looking down at Mibaita with a half-smile: “‘You’…… did well. You deserved praise.”

That meaningful “you” made Mibaita’s body tremble slightly.

He immediately lowered his head and saluted: “It was all because your strategy and planning were flawless to the utmost. I merely carried out the execution and made a few insignificant adjustments.”

The Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke burst into hearty laughter: “Being too modest isn’t good. Every selection tournament was something I even thought about constantly.”

He crossed his legs and spoke leisurely: “How did you arrange the betting pools this time?”

“The publicity for the popular competitors, and the entire plot direction of the competition, had already been arranged.”

Still with his head lowered, Mibaita said respectfully: “According to the current pools, with all the rake flow plus the wagered funds invested based on odds, your total profit would be……”

He reported a terrifying number that made the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke’s smile grow ever more radiant—a number that could make every adventurer gape in shock.

This Grand Duke, who was enthusiastic about making money, nodded with great satisfaction: “About ten percent higher than I expected, very good, very good…… done very well, Mibaita.”

Was the selection tournament a way to vent extraordinary competitive impulses?

An entertainment activity for adventurers to pass the time?

Perhaps.

But in the end, it was nothing more than a money-raking tool.

From the first tournament up to now, every match’s result had been manipulated by human hands.

Those massive betting pools that gathered endless money were, through and through, money sent right to their doorstep.

The laughable part was that there were still so, so many adventurers who treated this selection tournament as an opportunity to change their fate, making one feel a bit…… as if it had all happened before.

“Speaking of which…… Mibaita.” the Lapis Lazuli Grand Duke said casually: “Do you know how your elder brother had been performing on the battlefield? Had he contacted you?”

Mibaita froze for a moment, then immediately shook his head: “N-no…… no. The intensity of the war between the two Grand Dukes was too high. My elder brother likely had no time to contact me.”

“Is that so, then I’ll tell you.”

Namo Lapis Lazuli chuckled: “He had been repeatedly establishing meritorious deeds on the battlefield, bringing me quite a bit of face.”

“I-is that so? Then that’s truly wonderful, Grand Duke—”

“But I don’t know why……”

This “gold coin” Grand Duke’s smile suddenly disappeared.

“He seemed to be getting a bit too close to Sky Soil. He was even giving free combat guidance to Sky Soil’s subordinates. About this…… do you have any clue, Mibaita?”

Mibaita’s expression stiffened, and just as he was already terrified to the extreme and didn’t know how to respond, waves of startled cries suddenly erupted across the square.

He reflexively turned his head, and saw that an open patch of ground had appeared in the center of the square.

On that open ground, there lay a headless corpse sprawled in a pool of blood, and a…… young man holding a severed head.

Thud.

When he came back to his senses, Mibaita realized his limbs had already gone weak and he had fallen to the ground.

***

“The commission said this time window…… you had to pick now?”

Mingfuluo’s voice entered Anselm’s ear: “You really liked crowds that much?”

Anselm’s face showed no emotion, but the voice he transmitted to Mingfuluo was filled with amusement: “Weren’t you complaining they were too noisy? Fine, now no one was making noise.”

He held the severed head and walked step by step toward the crowd.

The more he advanced, the more the crowd retreated, as if he were a ferocious shark swimming through an endless school of fish—wherever he swam, there was a stretch of emptiness.

“……I really don’t know what you were trying to do anymore. Didn’t you say you were just completing the commission?”

“The one who posted the commission had something fishy going on. Since I accepted it, of course I also had other purposes.”

The young Hydra responded with leisurely ease, the Pitch Black Blade dragging along the ground .

“Besides, I really was just completing the commission, wasn’t I?”

“I think no commissioner would want you to hand this huge trouble—”

Anselm raised his hand and tossed the severed head to two ordinary adventurers in the crowd who were standing there dumbstruck.

“……to them in broad daylight, in front of everyone.”

“You’re right, Aluo.”

Faust, expressionless, chuckled lightly in his heart as he replied: “But I’d never thought I was some dedicated adventurer.”

“True. After all, you were a thoroughly bad thing.”

At the same time, Bone Knife and Fire Red Eagle, who reflexively clutched the head, stiffly exchanged a glance, both reading the same thought in each other’s eyes.

Damn it, run!