Chapter 23: The Meeting in the Dark Side of the World

"The player's ranking has been increased."

"Player's current ranking: E Rank, 4,936,726th place."

The pale blue player data dissipated from view, representing the deaths of fifteen players, and Alister's ranking was reassessed by the system.

From becoming a player to surpassing two-thirds of E Rank players, Alister only took two days.

"Phew..."

After finishing his tasks, Alister let out a sigh of relief. Then he lifted his gaze and surveyed the abilities dropped by the fifteen players in his field of vision.

"Detected E Rank compatible ability: Machine Gun Barrage."

"Detected E Rank compatible ability: Martial Qi."

"Detected E Rank compatible ability: Enhanced Sense of Smell."

...

"Detected E Rank compatible ability: Introduction to Magic."

"Detected A Rank compatible ability: Ultimate Five Senses."

Looking around, fourteen subordinate players had E Rank abilities, while the weak, bespectacled man had an A Rank ability.

There was a four-level difference between them. No wonder these guys listened to the weak, bespectacled man's words. They were all serving him for their future...

Then, with Alister's will, "Blank" activated, and the ability interface began to load new data in an orderly manner. Entries were generated seamlessly.

A familiar dizziness came over him, reminding Alister that his core consciousness had its limits.

So Alister only absorbed the weak man's ability.

"Ability: Ultimate Five Senses."

"Rank: A."

"The player's visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile senses are greatly enhanced."

As Alister assimilated the ability, the world before his eyes suddenly changed. The details of everything became infinitely magnified, and everything was within his perception.

The flow speed of air, changes in heart rate, the scent of pedestrians, whispers of the night, even the texture of the world...

Alister experienced the weak man's world—a world full of noise yet incredibly real. He felt a sense of mastery over everything in this world.

"So, pain is amplified too..." Alister pinched himself. "That's why..."

He remembered the scene of executing the weak man earlier.

"...The punishment of cutting the neck must have left a deep impression on you, right?"

His words fell, but there was no answer in the silent alley.

Next, Alister casually approached the wheelchair of the weak man and picked up the handgun he had dropped.

The muzzle was equipped with a suppressor, so it hadn't caused any turmoil in the Valley District so far.

He checked the magazine and found one bullet left.

The wheelchair was clean, and the bloodstains on it gradually turned into disappearing system data, so Alister sat down.

Under the profound darkness of the night, in the narrow and deep alley, Alister sat in the wheelchair like a monarch. He slowly aimed the gun at his own head.

"In martial arts, nothing can withstand a powerful attack except for speed... That's how the saying goes, right?"

Saying so, under the gaze of the nocturnal world, Alister revealed a calm and light laugh, then decisively pulled the trigger.

Bang! In an instant, the bullet was caught by a suddenly formed shadow!

The next moment, the cyclone generated by the bullet's explosion spread to Alister's ears, brushing his hair, and dissipated in the deep alley.

"The gun and suppressor together weigh 1,355 grams. The estimated initial velocity of the bullet is 470 meters per second, with a calculated effective range of 50 meters. The rifling in the barrel has slight abrasion, and the ballistic error is..."

Alister's gaze slightly narrowed as he calmly and accurately summarized the data of the handgun.

"Not a bad ability."

Alister calmly stood up, handed the handgun to the shadow that had formed, and devoured it on the spot, destroying it.

After confirming that he had left no trace behind, Alister left with peace of mind, disappearing from the Valley District at 10 p.m.

...

...

Late at night, in the dark side of the world, a secret meeting was taking place.

Pale moonlight illuminated the scene, with ravens dancing in the dark night and perching on dead trees and vines. Their side eyes stared at the towering ancient bell of the gloomy church.

Caw, caw, caw...

Inside this ancient and solemn church, moonlight seeped through the stained-glass windows, casting a reflection on a statue of a certain deity. The atmosphere was mysterious and unfathomable.

In front of the statue, on the blood-red carpeted grand corridor, there was a sixty-meter-long amethyst table and twelve luxurious and elegant seats.

Ten people were present, and two seats were empty.

All the participants were A Rank, and their powerful auras oppressively filled the space.

Seated in the first chair was a white-haired woman dressed in black and green military attire. Energy fluctuations emanated from her aura amplifier, and every move she made exuded the dangerous aura of an extraordinary being. Her cold gaze seemed capable of killing everyone in the room.

"...The next agenda is whether 'Eternal Night's Lament' should intervene in the A Rank sequence game in Country Z. Please vote and consolidate opinions." She flipped through the agenda book. "First, I vote in favor."

"...It's been a long time since I last clashed with the executor from Country Z. I agree."

"Serad just died yesterday, and there are too many destabilizing factors in Country Z. I object." One person glanced at the empty twelfth seat.

"Not only did he fail to bring back any information, but he also died there... We should take Serad's case as a lesson. I also object." One person yawned. "Besides, we're not sure if the guardian of Country Z has fallen into slumber, so I object as well."

"We, 'Eternal Night's Lament,' cannot give up any opportunity to save the world. I vote in favor."

"Oh, my ancient evil god, the items produced by the A Rank sequence game have always been on my sacrificial list. Intervene, intervene!"

...

In the end, the vote resulted in eight in favor and two against. Following the principle of majority rule, the decision for 'Eternal Night's Lament' to intervene in Country Z was successfully passed.

The white-haired woman in the first seat remained expressionless. Then she announced the final agenda.

"Lastly, please report on the selection status of the candidate members for 'Eternal Night's Lament'." She spoke coldly. "The first marked individual is currently reflecting in my spatial prison."

"The second marked individual is emotionally stable, and I'm working on making it unstable." The fox demon beauty yawned, her tail swaying slightly beneath her black dress.

The weary scientist, who had stayed up all night, listlessly dealt with genetic data and sighed, "The third marked individual has joined the 'Dawn Consortium.'"

"The fourth marked individual told me that Kamen Rider is awesome and wants to visit the 'Countermeasure Department' in the Land of the Rising Sun."

The old gentleman adjusted the direction of his top hat, saying, "I'm planning to spank him hard with my diamond-studded cane. I swear."

...

"What about the seventh marked individual, who has the most potential?" the white-haired woman asked with concern.

"The divination told me that the seventh marked individual just died in City A of Country Z." The seventh seat's diviner shuffled the tarot cards, looking frustrated.

The fifth seat, the ghostly girl who embodied urban legends, gave him a disdainful look. "I shouldn't have let you keep him. Now, look what happened. Do you regret it?"

"Geniuses always die young." The sixth seat, a puppeteer, stroked his doll with melancholy.

The long table meeting in the dark side of the world was nearing its end, and the members present were no longer as serious as before, engaging in casual chats and banter.

The white-haired woman glanced at the empty eleventh seat, interrupting the noise, and asked, "Does anyone know where she has gone to play again?"

"I do not know," said the ninth seat, a martial arts expert, crossing his arms and emanating a powerful aura.

The eighth seat, a worshipper of evil deities, interlocked his fingers and sighed, saying, "Oh, my ancient evil god, He said she went to that dangerous place in Country Z for a trip. She's truly an incomprehensible woman."

The tenth seat, a witch, took a sip of her red tea, drawing complex magical patterns in her book and interjected, "Country Z, City A. She's curious about Serad's cause of death."

...