Abyssal Wanderer.

At this moment, the mist of the summoning ritual gradually dissipated, and Zhou Liqi and his comrades stared intently at the strangely dressed figure.

The man was completely concealed within a floor-length black cloak, its collar turned up high to completely cover his neck. He wore a wide-brimmed black top hat, the brim pulled low, hiding his entire face in shadow.

And on his face... he wore a porcelain-white smiling mask.

At first glance, the mask is somewhat comical—the cheeks are flushed as if they have been painted with blush, and the two black mustaches are exaggeratedly curled upwards, complementing the eerie smile on the lips.

"This is the one you summoned, boss..."

Looking at the strange figure that remained standing still, one of Zhou Liqi's teammates hesitated and said.

“Voilà!”

The moment his teammate spoke, the strange man abruptly broke the silence.

The strange man exaggerated as if he were performing on stage, spreading his arms wide towards the crowd—from extreme stillness to extreme movement, his speed was so fast that few of the Coordinators present could see it clearly.

The heavy black cloak billowed open with his movement, making a whooshing sound as it struck the air. This action also revealed a black, tight-fitting corset beneath the cloak, and two rows of chilling throwing knives tucked into his waistband.

Many of Zhou Liqi's companions activated their respective armed forces and stood ready for battle, but the legendary leader of the African resistance movement made no move.

"A ruthless villain emerges from nothingness, brimming with boundless vitality and majesty, to visit a troubled old soldier. Your bravery has been worn away by those velvet-clad rats."

(A vivacious villain ventures from the void, vested in vim and verve, visiting a vexed veteran whose valor has been vanquished by vermin in velvet.)

The strange man spoke in an aria-like tone:

"Do not worship me. I am merely a vessel—empty, impermanent, and insatiably thirsting for knowledge. Frankly, I am the mouthpiece of your silent hatred, the trace of your unfinished victory, and the venom that will surely sting these arrogant governors—who have already devoured your vision."

(Venerate me not, for I am but a vessel—vacant, volatile, and voracious for verity. Verily, I am the voice of your voiceless vendetta, the vestige of your vanished victory, the very venom that shall vex these vainglorious viceroys who have vampirized your vision.)

As he said this, he stood on the stage like a jester in a Shakespearean play, displaying his acting skills in an exaggerated way—his every gesture was full of playful elegance, and his tone was full of cynical solemnity.

Then, he raised his hand and pointed to a wall next to him. As he moved, street graffiti paintings seemed to seep out from the wall and gradually took shape.

"Zhou Liqi, the Corporate Traitor and the Fallen Independent Agent"

"African Fire: Igniting the Flames of Resistance Worldwide"

November 5th, the day the gods were defeated, never forget this day.

Zhou Liqi, the Greatest Corporate Rebel: The Devouring Ant

The 17th God Eater's Day Commemorative Festival: Holographic Commemorative Cards are 20% Off! Grab Yours Now!

Shocking! First-ever public release: Unedited, live-action footage of the God-Eating War – experience that struggle across time!

……

Posters featuring Zhou Liqi began to take shape.

Each poster features an artistically processed image of Zhou Liqi. Whether it's minimalist lines, impressionistic colors, an oriental style reminiscent of ink painting, a Japanese style reminiscent of ukiyo-e, or even a Dadaist parody…

From a nobody to a legend of resistance, then to being deified as a spiritual totem for a generation, and finally to becoming a consumer symbol and an object of deconstruction and ridicule... Zhou Liqi's life—including those parts that do not belong to him—is thus vividly displayed on this wall.

Zhou Liqi's companions looked at the portraits, their expressions turning somber. The legendary fighter himself, however, remained calm and composed.

When the last graffiti was finished, the masked man glanced at him and continued in that mocking yet elegant tone:
"They sell you as a tasteless, empty-headed artist, a hollow avant-garde, and your victory is nothing more than a boring circus act. However, I have seen through their pretense: beneath this mask, there is no face, only a vortex—your trampled vows and immature wishes will take root again here."

(They vended you as a vapid virtuoso, a vacuous vanguard whose victory was but a vaudeville. Yet I see through their veneer——beneath this vizard, there is no visage, only a vortex where your violated vows and verdant velleities may take root once more.)

At this point, he suddenly drew the throwing knife from his waist, turned around, and with a speed so fast that no one present except Zhou Liqi could see it clearly, he slashed diagonally from the left and right sides of the wall covered with propaganda posters.

The throwing knife was sheathed again, and all that could be seen was the masked man facing the wall from the side.

The slowly falling cloak indicated the extreme speed of his previous movements.

The two flaming knife marks meet at the bottom, forming a huge "V" shape.

"V means vendetta, V means revenge, V means truth."

(V for Vendetta. V for Vengeance. V for Veritas.)

"The masked man said softly."

Then, that smiling face looked at Zhou Liqi again.

He gently raised a finger and tapped the forehead of his mask, producing a dull echo—it was hollow underneath.

Zhou Liqi suddenly realized that there might really be no face behind this mask.

"But which V will I become? My defeated lover, only you can grant me that. I am nothing but a verb, waiting for your voice to give me a voice."

(But what V shall I be? That, my vanquished valentine, is yours to vouchsafe. I am but a verb, waiting for your voice to give me voice.)

He said this to Zhou Liqi.

The wall collapsed with a crash, then ignited by the energy contained within the knife wound, bursting into brilliant flames like fireworks.

The ruins of the walls, and all the propaganda posters that covered them, turned to ashes in this feast.

The firelight illuminated the strange man's mask.

After a perfect silence, almost like an intermission, the masked figure walked up to Zhou Liqi and extended his black leather-gloved hand to the legendary hero.

His hand hovered at the edge of the firelight on the wall and the darkness of the cloak, waiting to be grasped by his Master.

"So tell me, troubled veteran—should we fearlessly move forward and deliver the most violent vindication upon these vile jesters?"

"Or perhaps, we should simply... disappear without a trace?"

(So ​​tell me, vexed veteran—shall we venture forth and visit a most violent vindication upon these venal vaudevillians?)
(Or shall we simply…vanish?)
Zhou Liqi took a deep breath and then suddenly grabbed his hand.

"We fight!"

"Then, the contract is established. My sword is your sword, my voice is your voice. And my name is given by your will, just as previously stated..."

"V is my current name."

The masked monster, who called himself "V," spoke in an extremely humble voice.

From who knows where, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” began to be played.

The "V" comes from Guy Fawkes, the avenger and fighter in the movie *V for Vendetta*, who wears a mask. He is an unparalleled swordsman, a skilled demolition expert, a brilliant orator and eloquent speaker, and a staunch anarchist. A hero who single-handedly overthrows a dystopian government.

After his image entered the internet age, the smiling Guy Fawkes mask became a cover for countless anonymous hackers to hide their identities, and a global symbol of resistance and anti-order.

The masked monster before them was the servant summoned by Zhou Liqi using himself as a medium.

The servant who best suits him.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Liqi's comrades-in-arms erupted in thunderous cheers.

They were once defeated rebels. Now, a successful rebel who overthrows tyranny will stand with them.

Victory will be ours!

"Let's teach those bastards a lesson!"

"To continue the legend that was left unfinished back then!"

...One after another, the entire team was immersed in the joy of the successful summoning ritual.

Amidst this enthusiastic atmosphere, only Zhou Liqi began to consider General V's strength in his next strategic deployment.

A speed so fast I can't even see it, extremely powerful close-combat skills, a special ability to imprint a kind of nano-bomb into someone's body with a sword... what else?
The powerful hacking abilities derived from the "Anonymous" organization, absolute resistance to kinetic weapons, and...

Zhou Liqi turned his gaze to the so-called "Restoration Ceremony of the United States" that was being broadcast live.

The goddess on the screen is now raising her torch high, issuing a declaration of war to the entire world.

Special attack bonus for those who symbolize order.

Zhou Liqi looked at V, and the other person seemed to be looking at him as if they were telepathically connected.

"A good speech, a good move."

He pointed to the Colombian goddess on the screen and said:

"Although revealing her identity seems unwise, her image is difficult to conceal anyway. It would be better to use the live stream to give a public speech and boost her public image—I think her spirit origin strength has increased by at least 20% compared to when she was first summoned."

Not only combat prowess, but also V's strategic and tactical talents need to be taken into account...

Zhou Liqi thought to himself.

"Yes, only the first person to make this move can reap the greatest benefits. Those who follow will only be seen as clumsy imitators, and similar clichés will only be abandoned by the audience."

He nodded.

Could it be that I misjudged him before, and that the guy named Sam is actually a very strategic opponent?
The joke about the president of the United States was just a setup to create contrast, aiming to be the first to reveal his identity and gain public support.

Did he actually put on a show of enduring humiliation and hardship all those funny behaviors in the past?

The more Zhou Liqi thought about it, the more sense it made.

V's opening remarks were no less impressive than that goddess's speech; if they had been made public, they should have been the ones to benefit from the positive public opinion. But unexpectedly, someone they had previously considered a joke beat them to it.

However, even if he doesn't get to be the first, he can still...

"Repetition is the hallmark of comedy."

V walked over and said.

He patted Zhou Liqi on the shoulder, then walked to the summoning circle, picked up an antique-looking radio from the corner, and pressed the mechanical switch on it.

The 1812 Overture that had been playing all around stopped abruptly.

"Even though I'm in a circus, at least this time, I don't want to play a clown for people's amusement."

With a single stroke, V sliced ​​the radio in two, then lifted his cloak and wrapped it around the fragments, which vanished as if by magic.

Where are you planning to go?

Seeing V start acting on his own, Zhou Liqi couldn't help but ask.

"Let's gather information on the other Servants first... If I'm not mistaken, all four participating Olympus companies should have completed their summoning rituals at the same time."

V, striding forward, thus said.

Zhou Liqi immediately said:

“The North! The sensors I previously deployed detected a high-energy reaction in the north of Thebes, probably at the location of the ‘Patent Custody Center.’ It’s likely that a Servant was summoned from there.”

V stopped in his tracks.

He turned to look at Zhou Liqi and said:

"If I were you, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to go there."

…………

"I ask you—are you my awakener?"

The deep blue goddess with four heads and four arms leaned down and spoke to Bella in a tone that sounded like a roar.

Yes, yes, yes!

Bella responded enthusiastically.

"I am your Master, your Awakener, your Summoner; I am also your Altar, your Child!"
"Goddess Kali!"

At this moment, through the subconscious resonance ability of the Ariadne path, she almost empathized with the mind of this goddess in Hindu mythology who nearly destroyed the world through dance.

Desire, violence, hunger, hatred... all sorts of negative emotions filled Bella's mind, causing her to tear at her prosthetic body uncontrollably.

“I am Kali.”

Seemingly ignoring her words, the goddess with a blood-red tongue lolling out and a third eye on her forehead roared:
"I am the beginning and the end of time, the mother, the butcher, and the last bit of mercy after everything has been destroyed!"

Bella struggled to soothe his raging fury, which seemed to want to burn everything to ashes.

"I am your child..."

She continued, repeating herself.

"child?"

This time, it seemed that Kali could finally hear her voice.

The moment she uttered the word "child," even her voice softened.

"Yes, I am your child, so Mother..."

Bella's tone also calmed down—her previous excitement was mostly not from herself, but from the terrifying Great Mother Goddess in front of her, from the emergence of archetypes in the sea of ​​humanity's collective unconscious.

Although she has the appearance of a woman, Kali is currently in a state of pure energy.

Her very existence is as unstable as her chaotic thoughts.

No one else could calm this raging goddess so easily. The moment she was summoned, her primal and uncontrollable power would unleash a massive explosion, taking both Master and Servant with them.

Only the adjusters of Ariadne's path can do this.

Only she could.

"Please let me guide you to kill the other demons who deserve to die."

Bella said so.

…………

Meanwhile, in a hidden corner in another direction of Thebes.

Alex was staring at the black stone tablet.

"Participants of Juno Finance, please begin your Servant summoning ritual."

The stone tablet with the words "BACCHUS 06 SOUND ONLY" shining in red urged on.

Alex tossed the scale-shaped "relic" aside dismissively, and scoffed:
"Do I really have to summon this thing to disrupt my battle rhythm?"
"Can't I go on the field and participate in this match myself?" (End of Chapter)