Gamers Are Fierce

"Control the Mirage Dragon?" Li Ang's voice betrayed not a hint of fluctuation. "Just you?"

This question wasn't meant to be mocking. It was just that, if what Ji Jiu said was true—that the Mirage Dragon alone could guard and maintain the Demon Prison—then, regardless of Datura's specific reasons for controlling the Mirage Dragon or the righteousness of their cause, and even if one only considered the feasibility, how could a mere low-level player, whose body was terribly broken and who was trapped in a deathmatch mission, possibly have the means to control a Mirage Dragon?

"Indeed, only Zhi Jue and I came to participate in this deathmatch mission, but this Resentful Demon lying here is also an integral part of the plan. Someone from Datura's higher echelons told me that during this mission, we would encounter a demonic duo also aiming to enter the Misty Territory. We could cooperate with them for a time before entering, eliminating other players in the deathmatch mission to clear the way for the plan."

Ji Jiu spoke slowly, "As for how to control the Mirage Dragon... they didn't tell me the exact steps. They only instructed me to take the All Bright Moon Palace Lantern to the entrance of the Misty Territory. From there, I would naturally find the Datura members who were already inside before the mission commenced."

Li Ang felt a stir in his heart. "All the Datura Potion patients who mysteriously disappeared from various Special Affairs Bureau outposts?"

"Exactly."

Ji Jiu pursed his lips. "Datura is not a charitable organization; they don't produce various types of potions to cultivate a bunch of invalids, but to fully exploit them. Before the mission began, a high-level Datura member used an extraordinary item left behind by the Kuiyang Sect to enter various outposts, take the Datura Potion patients, and bring them directly into the Misty Territory to conduct the Ritual Track."

He paused momentarily, speaking solemnly, "The deeper one goes into the Demon Prison, the more terrifying and grotesque the demons become, beyond any description. Even Mirage Dragons, naturally adept at creating illusions, are not completely immune to the horror of that place. Thus, the Mirage Dragon wears a crown—which in this mission is referred to as the Moon God Crown—to avoid being tainted and assimilated by demonic Qi. The Ritual Track held by Datura inside the Misty Territory involves using the deaths of these infected individuals to pollute the Moon God Crown, and thus control the Mirage Dragon."

Ji Jiu glanced at the Palace Lantern hovering in midair. "According to the sporadic records left by the Kuiyang Sect, the Mirage Dragon resides at the very bottom of the Demon Prison, blocked by a gate of solidified mist. The prerequisite for the Ritual Track is to use the All Bright Moon Palace Lantern to open this gate. At this very moment, they should be outside the gate commencing the Ritual Track, waiting for me to bring the All Bright Moon Palace Lantern to them. That is to say, if you wish to rescue those Datura-infected individuals, you'll need to use the All Bright Moon Palace Lantern to reach the site of the Ritual Track."

Imperceptibly, Liu Wu Dai clenched his fist a little tighter, and the breaths of Ash and Chu Yin quickened by half a beat.

Liu Wu Dai's father, Liu Kejian, was among that group of Datura-infected individuals. Along with him, many other innocent people had been duped, misled, or even deliberately framed by others.

Both emotionally and rationally, they could not abandon these people.

"HUFF."

Seeing that all the players present were silent, Ji Jiu slowly exhaled and continued, "More importantly, the Mirage Dragon's contract with the ancient Heterodox Academy has expired, and it is pushing the Misty Territory back to its original position. When that time comes, the Misty Territory will expand to cover Yin City, completely obscuring everything. The outermost layers of low-level demons—their bloodlines mixed for countless generations, resulting in untold numbers—will be the first to break free. Because the seal in that area is too weak, they will soon roam freely within the Misty Territory. These 'low-level' demons are only so-called in comparison to other greater demons. To ordinary people, they are still terrifying and formidable monsters. This is also why the All Bright Moon Palace Lantern advises players in the deathmatch mission to quickly grab a lantern and flee Yin City, which will soon be swallowed by the Misty Territory.

"The worst part is, if the Mirage Dragon fulfills its contract and leaves the Demon Prison to head east, the Misty Territory will disperse completely. This will reveal the true Demon Prison. The demonic Qi leaking out will be unstoppable, and without the Mirage Dragon to suppress the demons and erode their power, the formidable demons inside will eventually break free! The combined strength of all existing players and secret organizations is nowhere near enough to contend with the myriad demons possessing strange powers. That will be a cataclysmic-level Demon Tide...."

A hint of bitterness touched Ji Jiu's face. "It's quite ironic when you think about it. The ancient Heterodox Academy carelessly used demons for biological experiments, artificially breeding all sorts of strange and whimsical demon species, among which were naturally born biological weapons. According to the Heterodox Academy's vision, they believed that sooner or later, they would be able to completely control demons through artificial selection and inducement, making them manageable forces, just like pet cats and dogs. However, the Heterodox Academy miscalculated the ebb and flow of the slaughter games. During a long and decisive lull, they lost a massive amount of bamboo slip manuscripts and profound legacies; even vitally important intelligence on the Demon Prison was almost entirely lost. The various demons within the Demon Prison did not become the assets the Heterodox Academy had envisioned. Instead, they have become the current deadly Demon Tide."

"..."

Li Ang's brows were deeply furrowed. "Datura... wants to save Yin City?"

"No. To be precise, repaying kindness with enmity by polluting the Mirage Dragon, and incidentally saving Yin City, is merely one outcome of Datura achieving its primary goals," Ji Jiu said. "As I mentioned, Datura isn't a tightly-knit organization. Their upper echelons are driven by selfish motivations. The upper levels of Datura don't care if a Demon Tide comes; their true intention is to control the Mirage Dragon, to use the foggy illusion it creates to perpetually maintain their superior status!"

Ji Jiu recited, "What is it that does not die? What do the long-lived guard? The Mirage Dragon is the only true dragon remaining in the world and arguably the strongest extraordinary creature currently active. While other extraordinary elements have not yet fully awakened, controlling the Mirage Dragon means invincibility in the slaughter games—other forces simply cannot counter it. Beyond that, they can also hold onto the Demon Prison and, like the ancient Heterodox Academy, freely use the mixed-blood demons inside for research, gaining a treasure trove of biomedical knowledge and biological weapons, thereby obtaining military hegemony. Finally, the illusory fog created by the Mirage Dragon, capable of deceiving the world, can also create a utopia for the Datura elite that satisfies all their desires, forever extending their rule. It can be said that if this triple-benefit plan is realized, even the Special Affairs Bureau won't be able to stop it. They will have to sit idly by, intimidated by the pressure of the Demon Tide and the Mirage Dragon, as Datura monopolizes the Demon Prison."