Crossover Anime: From DanMachi to Becoming a Garbage Scavenging Master

Chapter 75 The Power of the Deceptive Spark

Just as Kayaba Akihiko was immersed in self-admiration, two unfamiliar voices suddenly sounded behind him.

A clear, cold female voice rang out first: "It seems we're a step too late—the death patch has already been applied."

Immediately afterwards, another male voice calmly rang out: "It doesn't matter. Without this setting, this event would actually be difficult to proceed smoothly."

Black Tower frowned slightly. She knew very well that Tianxing was not the kind of person with antisocial tendencies—otherwise, she wouldn't have been traveling with him all this time.

After a brief moment of thought, she vaguely grasped his true intentions.

"So, that's why you chose the Deceptive Spark?"

Just then, Kayaba Akihiko suddenly turned around, his gaze locking onto the newcomer—

The woman before me wore an exaggeratedly large hat and sat leisurely on a magic wand, as if she were a witch who had strolled out of a fairy tale.

The man didn't say a word, but walked forward slowly, his pace neither hurried nor slow, yet for no reason, Kayaba Akihiko unconsciously took a half step back.

Who are you?

Kayaba Akihiko couldn't help but become somewhat reserved. He could clearly sense that the two people in front of him were no ordinary individuals.

An inexplicable premonition quietly rose in my heart—

My long-held delusion may be just around the corner.

However, almost at the same moment, another feeling also surfaced.

He realized that his actions seemed to have been rejected by them.

The moment the thought took shape, an uncontrollable anxiety spread through his heart.

Adults often say that children who lie will never change their nature.

As Tianxing spoke, the image of a certain "peerless good cat" appeared in his mind, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"But lies can be good or evil. As long as you have a clear conscience..."

"So what if no one understands!"

"Words are merely a cloak for the truth. Only actions can reveal a person's true thoughts and intentions!"

The moment he finished speaking, he slowly raised his hand, and a slowly burning flame appeared in his palm.

The next moment, he raised his hand and threw it into the air—

Numerous fragments radiating divine light drifted like stardust, quietly merging into the world, silent yet omnipresent.

His voice then lowered, as if proclaiming some inviolable law: "Listen to me."

"The fire of the soul never dies! Where faith leads, there is power!"

The moment the words fell, the spark symbolizing trickery suddenly ignited under the guidance and blessing of the fragments of rules, raging and releasing its own power.

Beyond the world, the golden sphere trembled slightly, taking on a hint of humanity—

It gently licked the corner of its mouth, then nodded with considerable satisfaction.

The next moment—

The whole world seemed to be shaken by some invisible force.

The surrounding space was slightly distorted, as if invisible gears were quietly meshing deep inside, slowly turning some grand and silent mechanism.

Kayaba Akihiko, who witnessed all of this firsthand, was speechless.

He clearly felt that his essence as a human being was undergoing some kind of irreversible change.

Deep within his consciousness, he was gently touched by some force—he vaguely felt his spirit being condensed into something indescribable!

"This is impossible! I can actually sense my own soul directly?!"

He rushed to the room next door almost out of control, grabbed the NERvGEAR with trembling hands and put it on his head, eager to verify a certain idea.

A moment later—

He rushed out, his voice trembling, yet his tone carried an almost reverent shock: "The concept of the soul is actually real! An alternate world constructed from virtual reality can truly exist!"

The dream I've cherished for so many years has suddenly become a reality.

What was once considered a delusion in his childhood is now presented before him in the most undeniable way, making Kayaba Akihiko almost lose control.

"This can no longer be explained by science! Is this the power wielded by the gods?!"

He abruptly raised his head, his voice suddenly rising, "Then why, of all times, have you appeared before me now!"

However, before he finished speaking, that excitement quietly subsided, transforming into a kind of almost certain relief.

"That's right. I haven't even completed SAO yet, so I'm not worthy of your attention."

He suddenly laughed, his laughter carrying a light and carefree quality.

"So, I've passed your test. You came here for SAO, right?"

Tianxing quietly looked at the somewhat mad man in front of him, a feeling of regret that he couldn't quite explain welled up in his heart.

The kind of person needs to be dragged back to the right path and made to work for you obediently for the rest of his life before you can feel satisfied!

Tianxing composed himself and said, "Life and death are the natural flow of life in an instant, not a territory that anyone can transgress. You place yourself above all living beings, attempting to call yourself a god, which constitutes the sin of arrogance!"

"However, Heaven cherishes life. Fortunately, all of this has not yet truly happened, and the tragedy has not yet unfolded."

"Therefore, we've come to guide you back to the right path!"

Beside him, Black Tower let out a soft sneer, his tone filled with undisguised arrogance.

"To devise such a clumsy experiment in order to verify the existence of the soul is truly laughable!"

Upon hearing this, Kayaba Akihiko's brow furrowed sharply, and he said somewhat nervously, "If I don't include a death mechanism, this experiment can't realistically simulate the survival conditions of another world! What would be the point of everything I've done?!"

Black Tower raised his chin, his tone still calm and collected, and said in a mentor-like tone, "If death no longer means true death, this problem can be easily resolved."

"you mean?"

"Just create a realistic sense of crisis for the players; there's no need to actually cause death."

Black Tower said calmly, "The simplest solution: after a player character dies, create a new account with different characteristics, and at the same time set up a system blocking program to prevent the resurrected person from leaking information related to the truth."

"If you feel there is still a risk, you can also design a reincarnation mechanism to allow players to continue existing in the world as NPCs or monsters."

"In this way, the sense of crisis remains undiminished, but without having to pay the price with one's life."

Kayaba Akihiko involuntarily took half a step back and gasped.

This plan is surprisingly feasible!

In front of this woman, he seemed like a newly enrolled graduate student who was still unaware of his own limitations.

"Furthermore," Black Tower's tone shifted, his gaze sharpening, "your so-called social experiment doesn't even have a basic incentive mechanism designed? Relying solely on a sense of crisis to drive player actions?"

"This doesn't qualify as a social experiment; it's just plain intimidation!"

Kayaba Akihiko retorted somewhat guiltily, "Leveling up by defeating monsters in a game—isn't that an incentive mechanism?"

Black Tower glared at him fiercely, his tone tinged with disappointment: "That's just ordinary game design. What you're doing now is a massive social experiment that explores the soul."

"In that case, shouldn't we at least design some kind of reward mechanism that truly has meaning in the real world? Do you think it's qualified to sustain an experiment about the human soul solely through leveling up and defeating monsters?"

"Ah—madam, you're right!"