The Hound was left stunned for a moment, refusing to believe that Levi’s strength was truly that deadly to take down twenty-four powerful nightcrawlers on his own... but he knew better than to doubt his master out loud.
Still, he couldn’t help but ask, "Then, why have you made them join the game... they might have taken over damaged test clones’ bodies with similar evolutionary paths, but I doubt that boy can survive against them."
"Why?" Bishop Na’thir showed a cruel smile, "I want him to suffer... I want him to see his brother and friends getting killed in front of him, one by one... whether he exposes his secrets in the open to save them or not, I don’t care... I want him shattered."
Bishop Na’thir might have gone quiet for a while, but he had never stopped seeking his vengeance over Levi’s multiple interferences in his plans... he showed him mercy once, and he was paying the price ever since.
No more.
After realizing that it was going to be tough getting his hands on Levi alive now that he spent most of his time under the protection of the World Tree and Boundless Expanse, Bishop Na’thir switched his target.
If he couldn’t kidnap him alive, he was going to shatter him mentally in this game by coming for the people he cared the most about... he was going to make sure that Levi received the message that what happened had been orchestrated by him.
"I have already murdered his parents... once he knows that his brother and friends died under my orders, he will be easy to manipulate using his hatred," Bishop Na’thir uttered coldly, "If I can’t get to him, I will bring him to me with his own feet."
"..."
Hearing this, the Hound remained silent... each time he believed himself to be evil and unsalvageable, his master showed him that there were levels to one’s wickedness.
As he switched his focus to the Conquerors’ faction, his eyes were affixed on two Rifters... one was cleaning a scarlet-decorated katana with a soft expression, and the other was twitching nonstop in excitement while holding blood-red, fanged whips, awaiting the start of the game.
Levi’s squad had no clue... the lowest-ranked mercenaries in the game were the most dangerous ones!
"Spin the Rope!"
Following Gamemaster Envy’s thunderous order, the Giants tightened their grip on the massive silver rope... then, they spun it slowly, but fast enough to maintain its form.
"Prepare to ascend the rope!"
As the rope was slowly building its speed, getting close to fulfilling a full spin, Gamemaster Envy activated the screen.
At once, eight names were illuminated from both Factions, catching them by surprise... they thought that the light would jump randomly between the names before locking on one. Instead, it straightaway chose the first group, wasting no time!
Shia, Blake, Nadal, and Michael stepped out of their squads and walked in the direction of the abyss.
"Remember... if you can’t handle them, retreat and defend until reinforcement arrives," Levi uttered solemnly.
"Levi... have some faith in me." Shia winked with a faint smirk as she summoned Blee’der, "It’s going to take them a while to kill me."
At once, Shia linked her group’s arms with gooey blood tentacles. Then she waited for the perfect moment with her weapon ready.
"Just be safe."
"I will."
Whoosh!
Following a storm of dust and wind, the rope arrived above both Factions, giving them a small window to ascend it before it continued its journey for another spin.
Everyone watched with serious expressions, understanding that the moment either one of them missed this window, they were going to be shot by Gamemaster Envy!
Luckily... Shia didn’t disappoint.
She swung her glaive in front of the rope, launching a long, sticky blood tentacle... the moment the giant rope touched it on its path, the tentacle glued itself to its surface... and then, all four of them were whipped away by the rope, dragged into the sky, their hair flailing everywhere.
Since they had a small window to remain detached from the rope, Shia didn’t waste any time... she used Blee’der’s gaping maw to devour the sticky blood and pull them rapidly toward the rope until they clung to the sides.
Then, they climbed to the top rapidly, each one using their own crafted techniques... Blake relied on electricity to magnetically attach himself to the silver rope, as it was made with some conductive materials.
Nadal used the chill to freeze his hands and feet to the rope each time he climbed, while Michael summoned a peculiar plant on his hands and feet with great suction on their petals. Shia continued using her sticky blood to get up.
In a few seconds or less, the group got to the surface of the spinning rope under the cheers of their teammates and the viewers... unfortunately, their enemies had made it to the top as well.
"No early fatalities... tsk, would have been funnier to have someone fall into the abyss right away."
Gamemaster Envy clicked his tongue in dislike and then pointed his sheathed sword-like microphone at the two giants.
"Blow the horns!"
The two bearded giants pulled two gigantic draconic black horns from beneath their thick, fur-lined clothes and brought them close to their mouths with one hand... then, they released a powerful, war-like blast.
Following the blow, tens of miniature-like horns manifested across the entire length of the rope... the sides, the bottom, the surface... the spawning positions were random and everywhere!
"Charge!!"
Shia ignored the horns spawned next to them and charged as fast as she could toward the rest of the horns in the center of the rope... yet, Blake was faster, his entire body covered in electricity as he glided rapidly across the rope’s surface!
In no time, he made contact with three horns on the way, turning them into points... these points appeared above his head, turning him into a target.
Yet, Blake wasn’t scared... he had trained for the past ten days to master his electrical gliding skills to ensure that he became one of the fastest Rifters in this Game.
That’s why he was assigned the collector role by Levi, making him focus on gathering as many points as he could and then retreat to the safety of his group.
’They aren’t even moving... I can go much deeper and return safely.’
Blake smirked cockily as he watched the chosen four nightcrawlers remaining near the end of the rope, not even collecting the nearest spawned horns.
’Blake, don’t step too far from the group!’ Shia sent a dimensional warning after noticing that he was getting bolder by the second.
’I got this... don’t worry.’
Blake assured her with a pearly smirk and then instantly switched his gliding path to go under the rope, trusting his skills to remain magnetically attached even upside down!
It wasn’t empty confidence... he tried it, trained it, and mastered it in the past ten days.
When the viewers saw him gaining so much ground on the nightcrawlers, stealing the horns on their half of the rope one after another, they cheered for his boldness!
Meanwhile, the four nightcrawlers didn’t seem to care in the least... they just allowed him to roam freely, uncaring that he was stealing their horns right under their noses.
’Good... let them have it all... just focus on the plan.’ Nyr’Kalloth smiled coldly with crossed arms.
As the leader of the Conquerors’ Faction, he wasn’t appointed just because of his strength... he possessed a strategic mind that earned him the title.
And now... he watched as the two chosen Plague Crows and two Dreadtox Alraune from the The Law Defiers nest slowly contaminating the surface of the rope!