Though the black-clad man with golden patterns was speaking, the surrounding red-robed Dragon Group members seemed not to hear him at all. They kept their eyes fixed straight ahead, maintaining vigilant postures as they watched for any sudden movements around them.
"I see him. Follow him, but don't alert him. Avoid contact unless absolutely necessary." The black-clad man wasn't wearing an earpiece, yet the Grand Elder's voice clearly reached his ears.
Looking up, he waved at the red-clad men around him. Within seconds, the warships collectively turned around, beginning to advance in a semi-encirclement formation toward Lu Ce's direction.
They had already predicted Sin's final destination. Yet they couldn't help but marvel at the weight the man currently carried in the hearts of players worldwide.
In the Elder Council chamber, everyone silently watched the real-time transmitted footage, their expressions grave. This level of influence, from any perspective, was terrifyingly abnormal.
"Fortunately... the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society isn't him."
"Fortunately, he remains a lone wolf with no intention of forming an organization."
After a long silence, the Grand Elder finally spoke. No one responded, yet everyone understood the gravity behind those words.
......
"By the way, you've got quite the entourage following you. Seems you're quite 'popular' these days."
Black Knight's teasing received no response. On the motorcycle, Lu Ce's breathing had become irregular. From beneath the blue mask came intermittent, suppressed chuckles.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing..." Lu Ce murmured quietly.
In truth, he was teetering on the edge of overload. A mask that had experienced overload once would always yearn for that subsequent madness. Combined with his earlier battles, he was struggling to maintain control.
The many players who witnessed Sin's invincible brutality never noticed how much restraint he'd actually shown. The real world differed greatly from the game - with Dragon Group and government officials watching closely, he couldn't afford to lose control and slaughter indiscriminately. He'd been suppressing his bloodlust to the utmost limit.
"If it's too much, why not switch to a gentler mask?" Black Knight suggested.
Lu Ce: ......
Switch?
That... might actually work!
This wasn't the game where unlocked masks had fixed selections - in reality, he could switch freely. Though each change would consume fragments of his sanity.
As this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly bowed his head, pressing a hand against his mask.
"Also, think carefully," Black Knight continued. "Your arrival here will inevitably lead to deaths..."
"If you're truly concerned about the consequences, turning back now is still an option."
"I came here to kill!" Lu Ce's muffled voice emerged from beneath the mask. "But first I must go! They've built their stage - how could I not perform?"
"Fine." Black Knight offered no further opinion. "But there's one thing you should know."
"What?"
"At this speed, I have no braking mode. It's too late to slow down now."
Lu Ce: ?
Above Lovers' Island, numerous guests looked up in alarm as what appeared to be a black-tailed missile streaked toward them, crashing onto the beach before exploding violently.
BOOM!
The explosion created a bizarre mushroom cloud over the sand, the shockwave reducing beachside facilities to rubble.
On the distant warship, the black-gold robed elder stiffened.
"Grand Elder, we have a situation."
"What happened?!"
"It appears Sin might have turned himself into a missile and exploded."
The Elder Council: ......
As dust swirled, everyone stared dumbfounded.
What just happened?
Then something even more astonishing occurred. Following the "missile," a tidal wave of superhumans came charging forward!
At the forefront, a paper airplane descended from the sky, its nose embedding deeply into the sand like steel as two figures jumped out. From the sea, a man who'd been swimming at incredible speeds leaped onto shore - Perfect Life had somehow chased them underwater.
Chiyo Eine, Wu Changkong on his skateboard - players arrived one after another, storming onto Lovers' Island from the sea. A crowd of figures glowing with strange lights and wielding bizarre items stood silently around the smoking crater.
Gradually, rustling sounds emerged from the sandy pit, followed by an extremely narcissistic voice accompanied by applause.
Clap clap clap...
"What? No applause for such a spectacular entrance?"
A sudden gust of wind then cleared the dust, revealing a perfectly groomed figure stepping out elegantly. His face now bore a purple mask.
Lust!
This was the most "gentle" mask Lu Ce could think of on short notice.
The beach remained silent except for his self-applause. Though no one joined in, he showed no embarrassment. The purple mask surveyed the crowd before curling into a disdainful smile.
"Such inferior creatures, always wearing those uncultured expressions. So emotionally fragile."
The players: ......
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Then, from the crowd came another round of applause - from Perfect Life.
"Truly an innovative landing method."
"But might our strongest player be lost? The East Sea Debate's location was Penglai Island, not this Lovers' Island."
"Unless... you came here for some specific purpose?"
The purple mask didn't turn, merely pointing toward Perfect Life's direction.
"Good straight man. Keep performing well - I might recruit you as a lackey someday."
"As for why I'm here..."
The purple mask suddenly looked up toward the top floor of the Central International Hotel at Lovers' Island's center. Spreading his hands, he called out cheerfully:
"Didn't some woman summon me here? Where is she? Wearing flats, I hope?"
"Really, where's the welcoming committee?"