Vol. 6 Ch. 40

“So, it’s the two of them who are the Vengeful Spirits…”

Aurora furrowed her brows in thought.

“And the fact that they disappeared together at this time likely means they’ve already confirmed each other’s identities and started working together.”

“There are less than ten hours until Vengeful Spirits Awaken.”

Noa glanced at the countdown displayed on the Memory Stone and added,

“To be precise, eight hours and forty minutes. Dad, what’s the plan from here?”

With the limited information and clues she currently had, Noa couldn’t make the right decision.

So, for now, she decided to hand the reins of command back to her father.

Leon was more than willing to shoulder some of the burden for his daughter.

After a moment of thought, he said,

“Constantine and I did a lot of tasks together earlier. Based on the hints from those tasks, the plague source should be in the castle’s basement.”

“But my father is a Vengeful Spirit, isn’t he? Why would he have been doing tasks with you, Uncle Leon?” Hefei asked.

Leon rubbed his temples with a sigh, regretting his earlier oversight.

“It’s because he was trying to locate the plague source before us. I never considered that strategy, not at first. By the time I realized it, it was already a bit too late.”

Hefei blinked. She wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or uneasy.

On one hand, her dad outsmarting Uncle Leon was something to be proud of.

On the other hand… she was now “teamed up” with Uncle Leon.

“Next time, Dad, take me along when you do something like that!” Hefei thought to herself.

“And to top it off,” Leon continued, “the resources I collected during the tasks are now in Helena’s hands.”

“Well, once the plague infects any humanoid or NPC, it’ll waste quite a bit of time to deal with,” Leon said grimly.

Rosvisser, hearing the hint of guilt and self-blame in Noa’s tone, comforted her,

“It’s alright, Noa. There’s still plenty of time. We’ll turn this around.”

“Yes, Mom. I believe in us.”

Leon gently patted Noa’s head before continuing,

“We’re already at a disadvantage, and it’ll only get worse in eight hours if we don’t act. So, our next move is crucial: we must find and eliminate those two Vengeful Spirit players as soon as possible. That’s our priority.”

“Of course, we can’t forget the plague source either—that’s the key to our victory. If Constantine and Helena find it first, we’ll lose this game.”

Leon paused before outlining the plan:

“We’re splitting up. Noa, take your sisters and continue completing tasks. Your mom and I will go after Constantine and Helena.”

“Understood. We’ll head out now,” Noa responded.

“Be careful,” Leon added as Noa led the Dragon Daughter Special Ops Team out of the room.

After the children left, Leon let out a long sigh.

Rosvisser crossed her arms and glanced sideways at him with a teasing smile.

“Feeling a bit stung by past failures? Not such a great feeling, huh?”

“And why do you look so amused? Are you the third Vengeful Spirit?” Leon quipped.

“Pfft—” Rosvisser’s tail lightly smacked his backside as she rolled her eyes.

“Once bitten, twice shy. You’re starting to suspect everyone, even your own wife.”

Leon chuckled, making an elegant gesture as though inviting her.

“Well then, dear wife, let’s go ghost-hunting together.”

Rosvisser smirked, walking past him with her arms folded.

“Ghost-hunting isn’t a date, you know. Why are you acting so gentlemanly?”

“Do you want it to be a date?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Where should we go for our next date?”

“I said I don’t want to go on a date with you.”

“How about the snowy mountains? I haven’t seen snow in a while.”

“Sure.”

“You just said you didn’t want to date me a second ago.”

“I thought you couldn’t hear me.”

As they made their way toward the basement, they bantered and teased each other like always. Their voices gradually faded into the shadows of the castle.

“How’s the game going? Has our little adventurer team figured out who the Vengeful Spirits are?”

“They’ve figured it out, but those two Vengeful Spirits are clever. They’re using a strategy no other players have ever tried before.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“The Red Flame Dragon King and that little Sea Dragon girl are proactively hunting for the plague source. They’re progressing much faster than the Good Faction.”

In the game control room, several staff members stood in a room filled with Memory Stones, observing Leon and the others through the captured footage.

Given the unpredictable nature of this long-form live-action interactive game, the staff needed to monitor the progress at all times to ensure a smooth experience and step in if necessary.

“Huh, I’ve never seen anyone play like this before.”

One of the staff, arms crossed, looked up at the Memory Stone displaying the two Vengeful Spirit players.

“And they’re doing well, too—leading the Good Faction.”

“Yeah, but their lead comes at the cost of their stamina and energy. With about four hours left until Vengeful Spirits Awaken, they should probably find a place to rest and recuperate. By the 36-hour mark, they can come out and go all out.”

“This way, they can apply pressure to the Good Faction in the final stage, despite being outnumbered. It’s a clever way to make up for their disadvantage.”

“Exactly. And with that Sea Dragon girl and her Stealth card, they can easily hide in one of the castle’s secret passages to rest.”

“Silver Dragon Leon’s Good Faction doesn’t stand much of a chance now, huh?”

“What’s the bet this time? Same as always?”

“Of course! I’m betting on the Vengeful Spirits to win.”

“Same here. There’s no way they’ll lose with this advantage!”

“Me too! Vengeful Spirits all the way!”

Time ticked by as Noa and her team worked tirelessly on tasks.

Because of the restrictions in the basement, they had to be fully prepared before entering. Otherwise, they’d have to wait for a two-hour cooldown to try again, wasting precious time.

Fortunately, with sufficient resources in hand, Noa could make more confident decisions and plans.

The Dragon Daughter Special Ops Team was inching closer to the plague source.

Meanwhile, Leon and Rosvisser still hadn’t located the Vengeful Spirits.

As they waited for the two-hour cooldown for the basement, Rosvisser asked,

“Do you think they’re hiding somewhere?”

Leon shook his head.

“Unlikely. If you look closely, every room in this castle is carefully designed—there aren’t any real hiding spots.”

“Hm… this is frustrating. We’ve never been this passive before.”

Leon sighed as well.

“I underestimated Constantine. I thought he was just a brute who only knew how to fight, but it turns out he’s pretty cunning.”

Ding—Ding—

A sudden chime echoed through the castle, interrupting their conversation.

They tensed, looking around cautiously.

“Attention, all players. Attention, all players.”

“The game has reached its halfway point. The game has reached its halfway point.”

“Midnight has fallen. Wherever you are, be extremely careful.”

“The Vengeful Spirits gather—The Ghosts Awaken!”