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Chapter 283 The Unsinkable Ships
The [Minister] pushed open the door and walked slowly into the Guards' stronghold.

The cold wind that passed through the hall at night brought into the room, and also brought the news that the imperial capital was about to fall into a situation of being "besieged on all sides".

The atmosphere in the house suddenly dropped to freezing point.

Except for Bud, who was sitting at the head seat at the long table, pursing his lips and trying hard to suppress his anger, his face becoming increasingly darker, and the [Minister] who had a kind smile on his face the moment he stepped through the door.

Everyone present stopped what they were doing at the same time.

Just like turning into several stiff puppets in a puppet theater without the strings controlling them, they dared not make any move for fear of angering Bud, who was on the verge of exploding.

Many guards received information that the general's temper had become increasingly violent and erratic in recent days.

Therefore, no one wants to offend the other party at this time.

For a moment, the house fell into a strange and unusual silence.

It wasn't until Bud relaxed his clenched fists that he controlled the urge to smash the table, which had become increasingly difficult to control since he took the [Alchemy Potion].

After breaking the silence, he began to ask questions to the [Minister] in a low voice.

This stiff puppet show finally came to an end.

"Ernest, are you showing off your ubiquitous intelligence network to me?
"Or do you want to show off to me your 'tentacles' that are spread across every corner of the empire and can even transmit intelligence quickly before the imperial authorities?

"Or, do you want to use this incident to achieve some unspeakable evil hidden in your heart?

"For example, you hope that Fang Yi can accomplish the impossible feat of defeating Esdeath at the [Martial Arts Tournament] and taking command of the [Northern Expedition] Army after I eliminate Yuan Qi?"

After Bud's sharp and sarcastic words came out, the [Minister], whose previous plan was revealed, did not show any surprise.

Even the kind smile on the face of this fat 'lion' became brighter.

It was obvious that the [Minister] did not take Bud's words to heart.

After all, these two people who sometimes cooperate and sometimes oppose each other are too familiar with each other.

As the [Minister] expected, after his ridicule, Bud quickly changed the subject.

He weighed the pros and cons in an instant, revealing his decisiveness as the [Strongest in the Empire].

"But since you're here, and you only have one spy with you, it means the situation is truly urgent. I'll naturally handle it impartially!
"Come, Ernest, and show your brains and your skills, of which you are so proud.

"I will be responsible for demonstrating the strength of the Empire. Together, we will deal with these traitors who are destroying the Empire!

"Together, let us steer the Empire, this unsinkable ship of the millennia, out of the storm!"
-
As Bud was speaking, he waved his hand, and a captain of the guards who was sitting on a chair quickly stood up and pulled out the chair to make room for the [Minister].

Another captain of the Guards unfolded the map of the empire on the long table, bent down and handed a pen to the Minister.

Looking at this person in front of me, who was good friends with me many years ago, but has become enemies in recent years due to differences in their positions.

But when faced with major events that endanger the empire and the emperor, he can put aside his hatred, weigh the pros and cons, make decisions, and be willing to be used by himself.

A trace of regret flashed across the [Minister]'s eyes, barely audible, but was immediately buried deep in his heart.

[If I hadn't known that news, I would have continued to steer the empire with you for many more years.]

[Unfortunately, I am no longer satisfied with living in this small space.]

【Goodbye, Bud, please become my ticket to the [real world].】

He took the pen and slowly told us his plan.

"This battle must be won, and it must be won quickly and beautifully, in order to demonstrate the strength of the empire and restore our prestige!
"The local tyrants and the governors assigned to the local areas will not come. They must be waiting to see the outcome of this battle!

"The only ones we can rely on are the Imperial Guards, the troops surrounding the Imperial Capital, and even the defeated soldiers of the Northern Army.

"Of course, the Imperial Weapon Users of the Martial Arts Tournament will be the top priority of the battle plan!"

*
Seeing that the [Minister] only circled the imperial capital and set his sights on the [Martial Arts Competition].

Bud couldn't help but frown and questioned.

“Those [Imperial Tool Users]?
"It's not that I look down on those people, but apart from Esdeath and I, is there any point in placing those other warriors who don't understand military affairs and can't command soldiers on this kind of battlefield?

"This isn't a battle involving just a few thousand people, but rather a battle involving hundreds of thousands of foreign nationalities, revolutionary forces, and believers, as well as a chaotic army drawn in from riots in dozens of regions across the empire.

"No one will fight you one-on-one in a war. A [Imperial Weapon User] will only be riddled with bullets and arrows and die."

Budd obviously had a clear understanding of this battle involving hundreds of thousands of people.

He also gained a better understanding of the difficulty of security warfare and the degree of corruption in the empire.

“Even if I exhaust the energy of my Imperial Armament to clear out several streets of enemies, I still can’t drive out all of them in an instant.

"It will not change the endless riots that have occurred in this land. After all, the enemy can turn around and plunder the surrounding cities, causing even greater disasters.

“By then, the prestige accumulated by the empire over a thousand years will be wiped out, and the empire will exist in name only.

"Your Majesty will only be able to control the areas surrounding the imperial capital, becoming the de facto governor of the imperial capital. Local rebels will also emerge in an endless stream."

*
Bud circled the cities around the imperial capital, began to refute the [Minister's] views, and explained his own ideas.

"The smaller and less challenging Northern Expedition outside the empire we previously calculated still took a year.

"How can a battle like this be won quickly by the participation of those [Imperial Weapon Users] who don't understand military affairs?

"Unless a [Military God]-level figure who can gather everyone together like gravity, is powerful in himself, and is invincible in military affairs suddenly appears, then only then can such a [great feat] that can turn the situation around in one fell swoop be accomplished.

"But this is obviously impossible. Neither you nor I are such people, and neither is Esdeath. Fang Yi may have such potential, but we can't gamble, therefore."

The [Minister] smiled and revealed the plan that Bud had not yet mentioned.

“It would be best if we grant the local governors some autonomy in exchange for their help.

"We formed an alliance together and reached a consensus to prioritize expelling foreign races to maintain the empire, and then spent decades trying to find a way to take power back from them.

“You want to do this, right?

"But when it comes to power, who would be willing to give it away selflessly after obtaining it?"

*
After hearing the [Minister]'s speech, Bud fell silent.

This 'weak' plan was indeed what came to his inflexible mind.

After being reminded by the [Minister], the general also realized that it was not easy to take back the power that had been given away.

Looking at the smiling [Minister], thinking about the [Alchemist] that Riva mentioned before.

Bud's increasingly dull brain suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

He had already figured out the other party's plan.

"Ernest, you don't want to use 'that' ([Guardian Mecha God: The High Throne])?
“Is it powerful enough?
"Can those [Alchemists] you recruited to participate in the [Imperial Weapon Reforging Project] transform it?"

The [Minister] nodded, and couldn't help but smile in approval. He made up a perfect lie and played a riddle with Bud.

They began to talk about the huge [Origin Imperial Weapon], which was powerful enough to destroy a city and looked like a Gundam.

"As long as you agree, I will issue a directive to dispatch 'them' with superb skills to make some minor modifications to 'that' to increase its power.

"Don't worry, I will send Ji to supervise them and make sure they keep 'that' weakness a secret (to be buried with them).

"Don't you think it's time to plunge the Imperial Capital into despair, and then allow His Majesty to demonstrate his power and establish a [Great Cause]?
"As for those [Imperial Equipment Users], including Fang Yi, they will just serve as auxiliary to protect 'that'. I will make them 'obey'."

*
Looking at Bud who was moved by his own deceptive lies.

[Minister] even filled in the last loophole and finalized the plan.

"Tomorrow, we will use the potion to complete the [Martial Arts Tournament] within a day and select the elite.

"As for the reward, I'd just replace it with the more 'precious' potions I have on hand.

"I'm so sorry, but the only remaining Alchemist in the Imperial Guise Reforging Project is Mahan, the one who clumsily broke my Imperial Guise.

"I'm afraid he can't repair your subordinate's Imperial Tool."

Bud waved his hand, clearly not caring.

"Ernest, you always find a way to solve problems.

"In my opinion, 'unsinkable ship' is an apt description of you."

Seeing Bud nod, the [Minister], who was realizing that his plan to earn [Great Deeds] and kill the 'Stranded Ones' was being steadily executed according to the path he had in mind, was delighted.

In a good mood, he praised Bud back.

“No, Bud.

"As the [strongest in the empire], aren't you the 'unsinkable ship'?" The next second, the two of them burst into laughter for different reasons amidst the bewildered gazes of the guards.

*
After laughing, the [Minister] thought of Yuan Qi's prophecy about the "detainee" who seemed to be able to kill him.

Perhaps due to the influence of some unknown factors, he inexplicably made a decision that he would not have made otherwise.

He was going to manually add a piece of "bad luck" to Yuan Qi that was unfavorable to him.

He motioned to Zhe Xia beside him to take a piece of information, handed it to Bud, and said the last part of the conversation.

"Bud, I found some interesting information among Gozizi's relics.

"It's about your subordinate (Yuan Qi) who is not here.

“Unless something unexpected happens, he has hidden his strength and is lurking beside you for some unspeakable reasons, which may be detrimental to Your Majesty.

"From the intelligence he showed in defeating enemies with one punch, he's very much the suspect of being the [Death God in the Mist]!"

After saying this, the [Minister] left in a leisurely manner accompanied by Zhe Xia.

After watching the [Minister] leave, Bud's eyes turned cold and he began to look through the information about Yuan Qi at hand.

After a while, after reading the information, his thoughts became even simpler.

[Is it the [Death God in the Mist]? Does it have hidden strength? We'll know once we test it.]

【I'll go there soon.】

[If he really is hiding his strength, then after the [Martial Arts Tournament] is over, I will eliminate this destabilizing factor!]
-
A few minutes later, a residence.

Standing in the courtyard, Yuan Qi picked up a cheap long sword, sometimes dancing and sometimes thinking.

He had not given up yet and was trying to deduce the knife that Fang Yi had swung before.

I just feel the memory becoming increasingly faint in my mind after waving and practicing it many times.

His doubts about Fang Yi grew even deeper, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Strange, why, even with the blessing of my trait [Encyclopedia], I'm gradually forgetting his attack.

"Does he have valuable counter-reconnaissance skills?
"How could something like this appear on a reincarnation who accidentally entered a Level 2 world?
"This is a skill I haven't been able to master even after pushing my talent to this point! How could he possibly possess it?"

After realizing that the memory in his mind was becoming increasingly confused, Yuan Qi had no choice but to throw down his knife and give up his useless behavior and began his daily practice.

He was not going to think about these things that would not help improve his strength.

"It doesn't matter. All I have to do is kill Bud to accumulate 'fuel' and record his skills in battle.

"Judging from his performance, I'm afraid his talent has the same effect of increasing skill growth as mine.

"This is probably someone who activated his [Second Talent] prematurely. He's truly a one-of-a-kind genius, completely different from me when I first entered this space.

"But he will definitely die. If I win the hunt, not only will I obtain his most precious [relic], but I will also gain the characteristics of his weakened talent, allowing me to go further on the path of [martial arts]."
-
Thinking of this, Yuan Qi couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

He even hated that his strength was a little too "powerful".

Now he is proficient in sword, palm, sword and fist, and has made some progress in body training and hidden weapons. He also has a "god-defying" trump card.

In such a difficult world, any difficulties and obstacles that happen to him are just a breeze blowing in his face.

Even a person as powerful as Bud would be nothing more than a slightly difficult "storm" to him, and naturally could not shake his unsinkable "ship".

This kind of world will not be like the "iceberg" that suddenly emerged from the sea and caused his "giant ship" to run aground and capsize, and there will not be people with strength surpassing him.

“It’s a pity that he’s far inferior to me now that he hasn’t completed the [Attribute Breakthrough Mission].

"I can no longer, as the 'weakling', collect extra benefits as the winner of the hunt, thereby obtaining some of the related [Traits] derived from his talents.

"Just like my talents will gradually develop related [traits] after going through multiple missions.

"His talent, which has the potential to amplify his skills, will definitely yield useful [Traits]!

“It would be a shame to miss it.”

After he took a pill, he stopped thinking about it and focused on practicing the [Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppressing Technique] which he had successfully mastered with the help of the [Human Pill Method].

With the help of his [talent], his body has memorized some of the [Human Pill Method] techniques, and he has mastered some knowledge.

Although the [Human Pill Method] is most effective when consuming "fuel" for autonomous "training" each time, the current exercise can only play a minimal role.

But he will not be unable to move without the [relic] and will not rely solely on this [relic].

If you just naively hope that this [relic] you get later can change your fate.

Otherwise, he would have collapsed long ago in the past eight years of climbing up without obtaining the [Relic] and stepping on countless 'stepping stones'.

It will also become a classic case in the "Theory of Initial Talent" which has many followers among reincarnationists, demonstrating this argument to others.

Yuan Qi believes that the patience of water dripping through a stone and the persistence of never bowing to the misfortune that follows him like a shadow are the most important qualities in his life over the past 26 years.

After all, this is the only thing he has not lost since he was identified as a "useless person" by the space due to his initial talent and his bad luck.

To this day, Yuan Qi, whose talent has already made a leap, still clearly remembers the useless talent that appeared on his panel after he went to great lengths to step on countless people to become a reincarnation.
-
【Useless person】

You are not likely to arouse suspicion or be targeted by others.

You have minimal adaptability to all skills.

Summary:
There is nothing you are good at, nor do you have any outstanding talents that can be turned into gifts.

So in a way, you can do whatever you want.

After all, no matter what you choose to do, it will be equally slow and hopeless for you.

Evaluation:

You have nothing but perseverance and forbearance far beyond the ordinary. At the same time, your luck is not good enough, and bad luck will come to you from time to time.

But because you are too useless, others will not take you seriously.

Maybe for you, turning around and leaving and giving up this game is your only right choice.
-
It's a useless talent without any high bonus or benefit.

After understanding the [Theory of Initial Talent] of the Main God Space, he realized that he would basically be classified as a reincarnation with no potential.

But Yuan Qi did not choose to give up.

His goal has always been very clear: I will keep climbing up, never be content with the status quo, and step on countless people.

Looking back on his past experiences, he had killed those reincarnations with better talents after completing several missions.

He even sneaked into the [Reincarnation Space] and completed an outstanding hunting activity, beheading a 'seed player' and obtaining the [Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master] trait that changed his destiny.

He is full of confidence.

Changing the status quo is nothing more than spending a little more time and taking a few more stepping stones.

[Keep going, and one day the goddess of luck will favor me. ]

What happened afterwards happened just as he had expected.

To this day, his talent has been used in countless missions and many hunts.

The trait of "Easy to learn, difficult to master" he acquired during his first hunting mission served as a starting point for the "Useless Man" to undergo several transformations.

He was also favored by the goddess of luck and walked in front of Fang Yi and locked on his target.

And he has the capital to crush his opponent and obtain the precious [relic] from him.

Thinking of this, Yuan Qi couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"We've finally come to this day, Yuan Qi. From [Useless Person] to [Easy to Learn, Hard to Master] to [All Methods Flow], it's been a long time."

【I am finally not the same person I was back then. 】

He stopped practicing his skills.

He had already sensed the aggressive Bud appearing not far behind him.

[It's just a cockroach that can be easily crushed to death.]

He thought to himself.

　The second editing added 1k2 words for free, and there are still 2k missing chapters.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)