Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Patchouli's dream seemed to be coming to an end.

Chapter 88 - The Girl Digging a Hole...

Time flies...

Back in the Fairy Royal Court, Alice had to admit that sitting in a side room of the main hall, watching her counterpart from another point in time drink the poisoned tea she had prepared specifically for that version of herself... was truly an indescribable experience.

It's hard to describe where it is. It's hard to describe because my state of mind has completely changed.

She remembered when she drank that cup of tea, Patchouli, transformed into the Fairy Queen, had eyes that held an unyielding, age-old ice. At the time, she thought it was an emotional conflict, a struggle between deep-seated obsessions. Little did she know that after time shifted, cause and effect altered, and Patchouli had a strange dream beneficial to her mind and body, Alice, sitting in this desolate side hall, realized that Patchouli at that moment was simply experiencing the feeling of, "My face is about to crumble! I'm about to break down!"

One second ago, her "self" had collapsed from exhaustion after drinking "Alice's Special Black Tea." The next second, this little vixen was laughing so hard she nearly fell over! Faced with this terrible and unpleasant situation, Alice had to give that purple-toned guy a good dressing down before she could vent her frustration. And only after these trivial matters, beneficial to her beloved's mental and physical well-being, were over did her turbulent heart finally calm down.

With the cause-and-effect cycle established, the life level of the middle stage of the fourth level was quietly achieved.

There were no sounds or lights, no special effects, no celebratory ceremonies from heaven and earth, no weeping gods or wailing ghosts… because she wasn't the kind of extraordinary being who broke through in the heat of battle or advanced by sheer luck. She proved her Dao through force, and directly used the advantage of the home-field ceremony to temporarily strengthen herself to the top of the fourth tier, even possessing some of the level of the fourth-tier high-level vision—she could perfectly conceal all her power, aura, Dao erosion reaction, and other miscellaneous traces without letting them leak out in the slightest. Because every bit of power was completely under her control.

The inner light lurking within her was imbued with a magnificent hue, transforming from nameless to truly powerful. She knew she could unleash this immense power at any moment, but she also knew now was not the time.

Zheng Zha and Xilin haven't arrived at the right time yet; now is not the time to make a move. Before that, they need to be patient and prepare for a while.

Alice's gaze shifted slightly, piercing through the protective barrier to look at the other trees on the outside. In an instant, she sensed her future self from the American comic book universe... that body was currently locked in a fierce battle with the out-of-control Zhao Yingkong, even forcing her back into normal mode only to beat her until she turned evil again. She could even clearly see Ming Yanwei, also disguised, huddled in a safe spot with a group of characters who looked like main characters, trembling with fear. They seemed to be planning to escape, and then one of the main characters seemed to be leading the two combatants away.

Lead them out? Why?

Alice blinked, guessing the conclusion without even looking outside. She remembered that the Senzhou team, to which Ex belonged, seemed to have been placed in this world and were acting as world cleaners. Therefore, the purpose of these main characters became clear.

While it's impossible to kill Exusiai, sabotaging her is part of my plan. So, going along with it won't hurt.

With a thought, she didn't erase her future self, but instead planted a message deep within her future self's soul. She figured the main characters would soon be able to successfully shift the blame, and while Ex, as a reincarnator, had interacted with them, she probably wouldn't recognize her future self in its dragon form or Zhao Zhuikong in its snake form.

[Trick her once.]

A smile crept across Alice's lips as she unconsciously stroked Patchouli's hair in her arms. The little one, whom she had thoroughly tormented, let out a soft, animal-like whimper before pretending to sleep again. Alice then turned her gaze back to the face of the person beside her.

The thought of adjusting past actions echoed in her mind.

Well... this might not be such a bad thing after all.

Alice thought to herself, her gaze on Patchouli's face gradually losing focus. Another scenario flashed through her eyes—in that timeline, after the Dragon's Return, she didn't return to the Fairy Kingdom. Instead, she stayed in the Moon Palace until her present self was reduced to an avatar and died, only then awakening in the Moon Palace and going to the Demon Mother's Nest to settle the karmic debts. And when that version of herself visited the Fairy Kingdom again and told Patchouli the whole story, she saw only a heart scarred and broken.

Poisoning a body that one already knows will be reduced to a clone is entirely different from poisoning the lover one perceives as their true self. If Patchouli doesn't correct the timeline, she herself will be able to see through Patchouli's plan to love someone and prepare a deadly cup of tea at that point in time.

Both timelines will ultimately lead to the same result. He will inevitably advance to the fourth tier, and Patchouli's self-blame and pain will eventually be soothed by time. But even if the wounds in her heart are healed, unsightly scars will remain. And most importantly—

Patchouli would probably cry because of something like that.

The girl sighed silently, withdrawing her gaze from the abandoned world line. To be fair, she had made Patchouli cry countless times. Her clones had been destroyed by Patchouli… more than once or twice. But that kind of crying was different from that kind of destruction—she should bear the consequences of the ritual she had orchestrated. Even if they both considered themselves part of each other's lives, not all responsibilities needed to be shared.

She lowered her head and gently stroked Patchouli's cheek. At this close distance, she could clearly perceive every mental shift, every energy fluctuation, every collision and differentiation of every cell in her arms, and even every subtle emotion surfacing from the depths of her soul—she looked at her as if she were looking at a piece of pure, clear glass. All the changes were reflected in her eyes, and she herself did not shield Patchouli from any information about herself.

The dream was quite effective, even though the content was a little...strange. But ultimately, it was effective.

Unlike me, who has to take such roundabout routes to avoid Luo Ye, once the world merges and Patchouli's past self merges with her future self, she should be able to reach the edge of Fourth Middle School by then.

[...I just don't know if she'll choose to advance her cultivation level during this Saint-hunting ceremony...]

Alice's ears twitched slightly, and suddenly she sensed a fluctuation in spacetime. The next moment, she saw Xiao Honglu and Zhao Zhuikong appear at the entrance of the Fairy Royal Court and walk towards the gate.

The time when Celine will arrive is drawing near.

Chapter 89: The Girl Fills in the Pit...

Xiao Honglu felt that something was wrong with everything around this fairy royal court.

Hmm, no, that's not right at all.

There was something wrong with the timeline around this royal court. It was as if time had been drastically accelerated many times over before—he felt the word might need further consideration—and then slowed down many times over. The commotion was so great, and the impact so far-reaching, that even as he sat there reading the scroll that was meant to be burned after being read, he felt as if the flow of time itself had become somewhat abnormal.

If I were to write my experience of arriving from the outside world as a story, I would probably have spent about thirty chapters reading this scroll whose information cannot be leaked at this point in time. In other words, if this moment is the eighty-ninth chapter of an article, then I would have arrived here around the fifty-ninth chapter.

That's the first point, and the second point is about Patchouli in front of us.

In a daze, he vaguely sensed that the Patchouli sitting there wasn't actually Patchouli. Rather, it seemed more like someone named **Liss** impersonating her—

He remembered that after he and Zhao Zhuikong arrived, they were first blocked at the entrance of the Fairy Realm by a raging storm, and after arriving at the Royal Court, Patchouli was always staring blankly at the empty teacup on the table. Based on his understanding of Patchouli, this Miss Patchouli, who always deliberately lowered her presence, probably wouldn't show her weak side in front of anyone other than Alice.

It was strange, very strange, so strange that his thirst for knowledge was practically boiling. He instinctively wanted to test the waters, or perhaps unleash his unique power—a power he'd spontaneously developed through playing Gwent for countless years—to probe the issue. However, before he could do anything, his will to survive triumphed over his thirst for knowledge.

[Why would I bother researching these things? The issues between Alice and Patchouli... they seem like things they could easily handle themselves! Besides, I'm currently deliberately staying at the critical point of the transcendent stage, preparing for the perfect advancement that's best for me. There's no need to create unnecessary trouble!]

Having deduced the correct conclusion and knowing what he should do, Xiao Honglu planned to leave immediately—he had completely read the document 'Patchori' had given him in chapter thirty… no, not three minutes ago. And he didn't feel there was any particularly important information in it that required special attention.

The contents of the document were simple: he was to silently infiltrate and 'return' to the underground cavern base, assimilate with his past self without attracting anyone's attention—whether he advanced or not was up to him—and then, in the ensuing war, to eliminate as many orcs as possible from this world.

Why specifically target the orcs? He didn't know. Why did this document need to be read and then burned, and why in such a confidential place? He still didn't know. Why was it emphasized that he should lead troops? He still didn't know. The only thing he knew was that the intelligence gathered from different perspectives would vary greatly, and if the intelligence was incomplete, even the most brilliant strategist had a considerable chance of miscalculating.

Am I a wise person? Yes. Is 'Patchouli' a wise person? Definitely, whether in quotes or not.

So, does he have an intelligence advantage over 'Patchouli'? — Obviously not.

So, is there any need for me to hesitate? — No.

[At most, they might just be messing with some god in this world... Hmm, but do the orcs have any connection with any god in this world? It seems like they don't, and the orcs' ranking is so low, it doesn't seem like it at all... Maybe it's some kind of god I don't know about?]

He tilted his head and glanced at Zhao Zhuikong, who was still intently studying the massive book. Once he realized that the seasoned siscon was completely preoccupied with nothing else, he shrugged like a little adult—though that wasn't quite accurate, since he'd lived for a very, very long time, though he hadn't grown any taller. Then he nodded slightly towards 'Patchouli' on the fairy throne.

"Then I'll set off now, Sister Patchouli. Brother Zhao Zhuikong."

As he expected, he received no response from either side, but a portal opening leading to the outer side of the Fairy Kingdom appeared behind him. The opening was located in an area about a thousand kilometers away from the Great Hollow Base, avoiding the nanobot swarm at this point in time.

As he politely left, or perhaps it was just his imagination, he seemed to sense a slightly approving look in someone's eyes.

—He shouldn't have felt it.

..............................

Zhao Zhuikong closed the massive instruction manual in his hand. He had just finished browsing the entire book at a snail's pace compared to a superhuman being. After reading it the first time, he spent a few seconds speed-reading it seven or eight times, memorizing every word, its position, and its size and length.

The content was tedious, but not complicated. Because what it recorded was a ritual, one related to information magic, and it was definitely more feasible than his brainstorming idea of ​​'pretending to be a bad guy to force his sister to advance,' and the chances of success were much greater than his impulsive plan.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief; not having to confront his beloved sister with a knife brought him a genuine sense of relaxation. Then, he mentally rehearsed the corresponding steps once more—

According to the information provided by Patchouli, Zhao Yingkong is currently living in hiding with a Machina and a Winged one in this world's only human settlement not contained by the Great Hollow Base. Among these three outcasts—including Zhao Yingkong herself—the one who truly has the power to make the decision to stay in that settlement is Zhao Yingkong herself.

The specific details have already been described in detail in the book, so I won't repeat them here. The few key points that need attention are as follows.

First, the leader of the human settlement is a man named Riku. He possesses a strong aura of destiny, perhaps making him the protagonist among the mortals of this world. Furthermore, he has analytical and decisive abilities befitting this destiny. He not only saw through the true relationship between these three alien beings but also cleverly lured them to the human settlement.

This guy did even better than expected, thanks to his personal charm, reliable psychological manipulation techniques, and a bit of luck. Of the two alien species who went with Zhao Yingkong, the machine-type named Shubi has already fallen for him. The winged alien named Gypsy is also in a state of indecision, and is probably not far from falling for him—and this guy wisely didn't use similar tricks on Zhao Yingkong, so the certain sister-complex doesn't need to tear through space and cut him up with a single slash.

Secondly, due to the intervention of fate and the coincidental actions of the leader of the Riku, Zhao Yingkong now possesses the identity of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, from the 'Golden Apple Riddle'. While this identity is somewhat absurd, it can be used as valuable material for her advancement!

The third, and most important, point is—

“Yes, you guessed correctly.” Alice, who was holding the invisible, sleepy Patchouli in her arms and disguised herself as Patchouli (Arisa), gazed at the blood-red fortune that she had deliberately cultivated, descending from the sky, and then confirmed Zhao Zhuikong's guess. “Within the thoughts of that mortal named Riku, there lies a powerful, yet-to-be-born god. If it weren't for the intervention of us Reincarnators, this god would have become the ultimate victor in the Star Cup battle.”

"And what you need to do is to let Zhao Yingkong use the already localized Goddess of Love position that she has obtained through her assistant to replace it, and replace the luck and victory it carries. Let Zhao Yingkong use this unfulfilled supreme god position to complete her ascension!"

Chapter 90: War Prelude

As they watched Zhao Zhuikong disappear into the air, Patchouli's form quietly appeared beside Alice. Alice also transformed back to her original form, gently placing one hand on Patchouli's shoulder as she gazed into the distance.

Their vision was shared, and Patchouli, who had just adjusted her state, could clearly see everything reflected in Alice's eyes.

The dice had already been rolled, so the result was beyond her control. As the sole representative of the home team, Alice had overseen everything from the construction of the dice themselves to the refinement of the dice-rolling platform. By this point, she couldn't even find anything else she needed to do.

"The war will begin when Zheng Zha arrives at the right time." Alice's gaze pierced through the outer shell of the Fairy Land, swept across the vast land, and reached towards the sky. Her gaze lingered briefly on the moon where the Moon-Singing Race resided. At the same time, the Moon-Singing Race, which she had designed based on the legion of the Emperor of the Moon, resembling classical angels, had a hidden switch pressed—the triggering formula hidden deep within their genes and souls was activated at this moment, and they immediately and decisively abandoned the battlefield on the surface of the moon, quickly retreating back into the heart of the moon.

“And when that time comes, the pieces on the board need to be as few as possible,” she said softly.

There are fifteen races, or sixteen if you include mortals. And now, more than half of these sixteen races have already left the battlefield.

Not counting mortals, the elves have no will, and the marine species dwell in the deep sea or even in the fiery currents, far from the battlefield. As for the demons, they have already crumbled with the departure of Aichidra and will soon turn into ignorant beasts.

The Fantasy races do not have an independent group; the Mech race is Alice's creation, and the Fairy race's authority is in Patchouli's hands. The Beastman race has long been weakened and is cursed for directly confronting the fate of humanity. The Vampire race was wiped out long ago by the God of War, Artes, becoming offerings for rituals.

Alice lowered her eyes—

Who are the enemies? Three divine beings: the God of War, Artes, and the Forest Spirit, the ruler of the goblins. One dragon spirit, who will soon break free from the position that Ismir used to confine it, abandoned by Alice, and soon to settle its karmic debt with her—the Satanic red dragon.

Two Giants. Kororos had already departed, leaving behind Ymir, born from the remains of the gods of the Sail Tower, and 'Kua,' of unknown origin, who should be considered an accidental product of the Dragon Break. Then, all that remained were the entirety of the Skywing, Goblin, and Forest Elf races.

These are the enemies, so who are the allies?

The Reincarnators of the Central Continent Team constitute a major fighting force. The rest consist of the Machine Race, Fairy Race, and Moonlit Race controlled by the Reincarnators, as well as the Vampire Race, which will soon complete its ritual and serve as the opening symbol of the war—in terms of sheer numbers, the Reincarnators seem to be at an overwhelming disadvantage. However, in terms of quality, the balance of power has already shifted to the other side.

Special attention should be paid to Artesius, the Red Dragon, and Ymir and Qua, who may be hiding Saillou's hidden tricks. The others are nothing but weaklings, easily dealt with without much effort.

However, even when everything has reached its final conclusion, it is still necessary to guard against unexpected events.

"Alice, what are you planning to do?" Patchouli asked, looking up at her.

“First, let’s rule out the goblin and forest elf races,” Alice replied softly. “Those two gods, though relatively weak, still possess the Light of the Soul, making them super-powerful beings equivalent to true gods. Once the war begins, Zheng Zha will deal with Altshu, while I am destined to settle my karmic debt with the red dragon. At that time, these two, now free from constraints, could become unexpected variables.”

"I will activate the Moon Palace, sending the moon directly into the goblin race's interstellar mothership. However, while the Moon-Singing race might be able to suppress the goblin race's military might, it's unlikely they can even engage the goblin lord on top of that. That's when additional assistance will be needed."

“I’ll handle them,” Patchouli nodded. “The Fairy Realm will conceptually merge with the mortal main base in the Great Void in the coming period. With Xiao Honglu around, there’s no need to worry about changes in the battle situation in the Great Void. I will participate in the Moon Palace battlefield after the fusion. In this way, even if the Goblin Lord and the Forest Elf Lord decide to form an alliance on a whim, I am confident that I can hold them off until the battle on other levels is decided.”

"Patch...you intend to gather the light of the soul in this world?"

“No, it’s just merging with my past self. Proving the Dao through force is still a bit difficult for me. Besides, Alice, you promised that saint that you would leave a glimmer of hope for the world group in this Saint Hunting Ritual, right?” Patchouli smiled, pursing her lips. “Although I think you might have done it even if she hadn’t made that request of you. But since the promise has been made, a good woman cannot break it.”

Alice remained silent. She pondered for a few seconds, quickly calculating dozens of possible worldline shifts, then organized and archived them, building a model. She even incorporated all the worst possible scenarios that Patchouli could encounter into it—

“The Machina will support you.” Alice exhaled a small, warm breath, which transformed into a series of constantly shifting, dynamic information locks in the air. She had activated a backdoor hidden within the Machina race. Except for one individual whose link had been severed long ago and thus untouchable, all the Machina obeyed her command at this moment. As she transferred that dynamic information lock to Patchouli, her companion instantly gained the corresponding authority.

The gods and dragons have been dealt with; what remains are the giants, Ymir and Qua, and both actually have the necessary manpower to handle them.

If Zhao Yingkong is to ascend to the throne, then he must offer sufficiently lavish sacrifices as provisions during the ceremony. And in this world, there is probably no one more suitable for the position of sacrifice than the giant Ymir, who inherited the remains of Fanlou—the God of War might be one, but even if she were to join forces with Zhao Zhuikong and Sirin, they probably wouldn't be able to defeat Altshu. Given that this first path is clearly unfeasible, settling for second best is a sound strategy.

As for the last remaining praise, Chu Xuan said he had already arranged how to handle it.

In this way, all variables cease to exist. Leveraging external forces, strategic planning, preliminary preparations… the Reincarnators' fortification construction has reached the limits of their abilities and existing resources. The war against the gods, the war against the dragons, the war against the giants—three battlefields, three pivots. The Reincarnators have invested enough force at each pivot to tip the tide of battle. Victory in any one location will lead to a snowballing chain of victories.

Even though all three battlefields are deadlocked, the Reincarnators still have a backup plan.

Alice blinked, taking one last look at a certain area inside the Great Hollow Base before looking away—the place where Chu Xuan was. For Chu Xuan, who controlled the entire Hunting Saint Ritual, there was probably no distinction between his past and future self from the very beginning.

The Hunting Saint Ritual only has the power to strike internally, so he won't make a move until the very end. But precisely because of this, even if our plan botches everything, as long as Chu Xuan is still alive, we'll have a chance to take back a move.

The witches exchanged a glance, sharing not only their vision but also their innermost thoughts. Their wills intertwined and collided, deducing countless possibilities, yet they couldn't find a single outcome that could cause them to capsize in the gutter.

Everything is ready. The chances of a complete victory are roughly 50%. Even if a major accident occurs that Chu Xuan cannot avert, the Central Continent team, which already possesses powerful individuals at the complete level of the Light of the Mind, and whose numbers will continue to increase, has already become the winner of this ceremony. The final result will simply fluctuate between a complete victory and a narrow victory; the possibility of a crushing defeat is absolutely nonexistent.

Deduce it once, deduce it twice, deduce it three times.

Just as the fourth deduction was about to begin, Alice gently kissed Patchouli's forehead.