SWDnovel Chapter 260 Treasure Hunt
Chapter 260 Treasure Hunt
Chapter 260 Treasure Hunt
"Ishtar, let's play war games!"
As the goddess Astraea uttered these words.
The spacious hall gradually quieted down, without a sound. The gods and guild members stared at the goddess Astrea in astonishment.
"Asteria!" Ishtar's face twisted in pain. Was the other party planning to take advantage of her being punished by the guild and send her away in one fell swoop?
"Ishtar, I cannot forgive you for colluding with the dark faction and hunting my children in the dungeon. Let's settle this once and for all, with the game of the gods!" Astraea's calm and gentle tone was as always, yet it conveyed an unwavering and resolute will.
Tiony, Tiona, Daphne, Cassandra, and Lily are dead, Roy and Liu are seriously injured, and a surge of anger burns in Astraea's heart.
Ishtar gave a sneer. "Why would I agree to such a ridiculous game!"
With her clan having just suffered heavy losses, how could Ishtar possibly agree to participate in a war game?
"Ishtar, this is not up to you—" Goddess Astraea said softly, a dangerous glint in her deep blue eyes.
Astraea didn't finish her sentence, but Ishtar understood her implication: if she didn't agree, any of the Ishtar Familia's battle prostitutes who dared to enter the dungeon would be guaranteed to die.
Ishtar often did this kind of thing, using any means necessary to get the children she wanted. In essence, this incident was the same, only on a larger scale, but she ended up suffering a major setback.
Astraea's almost undisguised threat made the gods tremble in their hearts.
At that moment, Astraea's gentle and kind smile took on a dangerous edge in their eyes, and the gods couldn't help but roar inwardly.
You are the goddess who upholds justice!
How could she threaten another goddess in public? Astraea's image in the eyes of the gods was beginning to crumble.
It's so hard to guess who led them astray!
Hermes and Loki smiled wryly. Roy was the first mortal they had ever seen who could have such a profound influence on the gods.
The gods were shocked, but did not object.
Ishtar deserved this fate for colluding with the dark faction to besiege the Astrea Familia in the dungeon; it was the consequence they deserved.
"hateful--!"
In stark contrast to the gods' mindset, Ishtar's eyes were cold and filled with humiliation. She was the one who always threatened others; no one had ever dared to threaten her, not even Freya, whom she considered her greatest rival.
At that moment, Freya poured a bucket of gasoline on the flames, and like a noble empress from the heavens, casually said, "Ishtar, are you afraid?"
Ishtar's golden eyes snapped open instantly, her eyeballs seemingly about to pop out of their sockets.
She just couldn't stand Freya's provocations!
Every word the other person said touched her most sensitive nerve, causing her jealousy and anger to erupt like a volcano.
"Ishtar, we all come from the heavens, let's not embarrass ourselves!"
"Yes, perk up!"
As soon as Freya spoke, numerous sycophantic male gods immediately chose sides, each chiming in with their own words, frantically stirring things up, afraid that Ishtar wouldn't agree.
Amidst repeated "Well done!"s, Ishtar finally lost herself. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Alright, Astraea, let's play the war game!"
"War Game—!"
Upon seeing Ishtar's agreement, the gods, as expected, erupted in excited cheers that echoed throughout the thirtieth-floor hall. They danced and gesticulated wildly, creating an atmosphere so enthusiastic that one might almost think they were high on drugs.
Almost a year has passed since the last war game involving the Apollo Familia, and the gods are eagerly anticipating what new tricks they will come up with this time.
Freya's exquisitely beautiful lips curled up slightly.
Guild staff, on the other hand, were constantly groaning; war games were definitely not a good thing for them.
Obligations and rights are symbiotic.
The guild can levy taxes on the many clans of Orario, but it must also bear corresponding responsibilities and obligations.
Serving the gods is one of the guild's obligations.
If it's a small-scale war game, it's fine. But once a large-scale war breaks out, they have to work overtime without pay, clearing the grounds for the two clans, acting as NPCs in the game, and doing all the logistical support work.
Eina frowned slightly. The fact that the losing side in the war game had to unconditionally accept all the conditions of the winner made her a little worried about Roy's side.
But Goddess Astraea wasn't the kind of willful deity who acted unilaterally; she must have discussed it with Mr. Roy, Eina vaguely guessed.
Now that the decision has been made to hold a war game, the next question is undoubtedly the rules of the game.
"A one-on-one duel like last time?"
"That's no fun at all. I want to see rivers of blood, a fateful battle between justice and darkness!"
"I am Ganesha!"
The gods were in high spirits, coming up with all sorts of ideas they thought were interesting, incorporating many of their personal hobbies. The chatter in the hall never stopped, just like a bustling market.
The gods, unable to reach an agreement, started fighting on the spot.
Seeing this, Ishtar was furious that her fate was being decided by these idiots.
Astraea simply watched this scene with a smile. If she proposed rules that were favorable to her side, Ishtar would certainly not agree, and vice versa. It was up to the gods to decide.
In contrast, if she had reached a private agreement with Rudra and Apollo before bringing it to the table, the efficiency would have been much higher.
"How about we draw lots instead?" Hermes couldn't help but suggest. At this rate, we might never reach a conclusion.
"Can!"
The gods' eyes lit up; this kind of lottery with no known outcome was a unique kind of excitement and fun.
A large lottery box was placed in the center of the hall. The gods wrote the game rules they designed on small slips of paper and put them into the box one by one. Astraea and Ishtar also put in the game rules that were favorable to their side.
"Hephaestus, what did you write?" Demeter, with her long, brown-gold hair, asked curiously.
"Forge a higher-level piece of equipment within the allotted time," Hephaestus replied.
"It seems you have high hopes for that child from the Astrea family." Demeter chuckled. The news that Roy had created a first-class weapon in the sword-making city of Zoringen and defeated Tsubaki Kobrand had already spread far and wide.
Roy is recognized as one of Orario's top blacksmiths. If you pull this character, it's practically suicide for the Ishtar Familia. Hephaestus's favoritism is outrageous.
"I also need to repay the favor."
Hephaestus laughed, saying that Roy's idea had successfully brought Welf back.
"And you?"
"Choose a piece of farmland and plant crops within a three-month time limit. The clan with the largest harvest wins."
"That's so typical of you."
The two goddesses' casual conversation left the other gods speechless. One was a blacksmith and the other a farmer; they figured it was better not to play this war game. They prayed frantically that these two unlucky creatures wouldn't be drawn!
Guild staff are also praying that there won't be a large-scale war game, as they don't want to work overtime.
"Who's going to draw?"
The gods looked at each other in bewilderment.
Male gods often fall at Ishtar's feet, becoming entangled with her in various ways. Astraea doesn't trust them, and similarly, there are quite a few gods who support Astraea. Ishtar is wary.
"Hermes, you draw!"
The gods’ gaze fell upon Hermes.
As a neutral god, Hermes enjoys the trust of all parties and is very popular; even Astraea and Ishtar are willing to accept him.
"I?"
Hermes smiled wryly, feeling immense pressure; this was the draw that would determine the fate of the two great clans.
"Yes, it's you!" the gods exclaimed.
Urged on by the gods, Hermes could only step forward, a helpless smile appearing on his handsome face, as he gave the gods a heads-up, "Alright, but don't blame me if you're not satisfied later."
"Don't worry, we believe in you!"
The gods looked at Hermes with expectant eyes.
The Astrea Familia is a small but elite group. If they were to draw a game like a one-on-one duel, it would definitely be advantageous, since the Ishtar Familia has just suffered severe losses and has very few high-end combatants left.
If you draw a game that requires a large number of players, the Ishtar Familia undoubtedly has a huge advantage.
Ishtar, who sees Freya as her rival, wants to match Freya in every way, and she can't fall behind in terms of the number of her kin. In the huge pleasure district, there are at least eight or ten thousand prostitutes in total.
Ishtar's eyes flickered. If she had known this was going to happen, she should have slept with Hermes yesterday and made him withdraw from the game that was in her favor.
Now that things have come to this, we can only rely on luck.
Under the watchful eyes of the gods, and with Astraea and Ishtar among the main figures present, Hermes appeared slightly nervous. He reached into the box, stirred it around, and then pulled out a slip of paper.
"What is it?"
The gods stared intently at Hermes.
Hermes opened the note, glanced at it, his lips twitched, then turned it over to face the gods. It read: Treasure Hunt!
The gods erupted in deafening cheers.
The guild staff were pale-faced and had the urge to quit on the spot; they were going to have to work overtime until they died.
Eina pursed her lips.
Ishtar paused slightly, as if a wicked idea had struck her, and a sinister smile crept across her face. "This is quite a game!"
"I believe in my children." Astraea's smile remained unchanged.
Under the protection of Tione and Tiona, the goddess Astraea returned to the Court of Stars.
Upon learning of the War Game, Ryu and Cassandra returned from the Dean Cassini sanatorium, and the entire clan reunited after the expedition.
They looked at each other, their hearts filled with joy.
The goddess Astraea said softly, "The results are in: the rules of the war game are treasure hunting!"
Roy, Ryu, and the others looked on with curiosity.
Astraea explained the specific rules in simple and easy-to-understand language, and everyone suddenly realized that since it was a multiplayer game, the rules couldn't be too complicated.
-
A treasure hunt game where eleven treasures are hidden in the forest. The first clan to obtain six treasures or defeat the enemy commander will win!
"I see."
Roy's lips curled up; the difficulty of this game lay in collecting treasures and ensuring the safety of the commander.
If a large number of people are sent out to search for treasure, the main camp will be left undefended, and the general may be beheaded by the enemy. Conversely, if the general is protected, the speed of searching for treasure will decrease.
A balance needs to be found between the two.
The rule is to obtain, not to find.
This means that it's not a matter of who finds the treasure first and it belongs to them; they can also directly take it by force. It all depends on which side gets all six treasures first.
This rule benefits both parties.
The Ishtar Familia has more members, making them faster at finding treasures, while the Astrea Familia has stronger overall combat capabilities, making them better suited to form assassination squads to carry out decapitations.
Astrea and Ishtar both accepted.
Once her mental strength returned, Amid lifted the curse of the Shikon Jewel for Tione, Tiona, and Cassandra. She didn't procrastinate; instead, she liked to finish things as quickly as possible, otherwise, she felt like she had a heavy stone weighing on her mind, making it impossible to concentrate.
Practice makes perfect!
Amid specifically asked Roy to stand by her side to intimidate the talking monsters.
Sure enough, the moment the monsters saw Roy, their human-like faces contorted in terror, as if they had seen a ghost, and they trembled with fear. Amid seized the opportunity to unleash her magic and wiped them out in one fell swoop.
Before Amid regained consciousness, Roy swung Tenseiga, severing the Netherworld chains binding the three girls and truly reviving them.
When Amid returned to reality, Roy had already put away the Shikon Jewel and the Tenseiga.
Amid's face was so pale it was almost transparent, and her slender, delicate body swayed precariously like a flower branch struggling under a strong wind.
Just as she lost her balance, a steady and reliable figure approached in time. Roy's broad hands supported her slumped lower back and slightly cool arms, preventing her from falling.
"Thank you, Mr. Roy." Amid's voice was weak. This time she hadn't fainted. She felt the heat from Roy's large hand and her pretty face flushed. But her signature light purple eyes reflected Roy's handsome face, filled with more curiosity. Without Roy, she couldn't remove those curses.
"You're welcome," Roy said with a slight smile.
"Fully recovered, Amid, Captain!" The cheerful and lively Tiona was the first to regain consciousness.
"Captain, I like you the most," Tione said.
The two enthusiastic Amazonian sisters hugged Roy and Amed tightly together.
Timid Cassandra dared not do so, and timidly said, "Miss Amid, Commander, thank you!"
Feeling the soft touch from behind, Roy noticed the sisters' firm, tanned skin and smiled. This was the feeling of flesh and blood, not the stiffness of the Shikon Jewel.
"I'll take Miss Amid back. You can rest for a bit, or you can go to Goddess Astraea to update your stats," Roy said.
"yes!"
Tiony and Tiona answered, their beautiful faces beaming with excitement. How much would their abilities improve after that deep expedition?
The two sisters grabbed Cassandra and hurried to the room of the goddess Astrea.
Once Amid's mental and physical strength had recovered somewhat, Roy personally escorted her back.
sunset.
The two walked along a secluded path, the shortest route back to the Deankat Family Sanatorium.
"Miss Amid, I'll pay for Ryu's medical treatment and the cost of lifting the curse together," Roy said with a smile. He had just plundered the Dark Faction's warehouse and was rolling in money. Even if Amid asked for an exorbitant amount, he wouldn't feel bad.
A strange light flashed in Amid's pale purple eyes. "Miss Ryu's treatment fee is 1.2 million Fali. As for the reward for lifting the curse—"
When the curse was mentioned, Amid paused for a moment, and Roy had a bad feeling.
Amid asked with a smile, "Mr. Roy, can you consider this a favor you owe me?"
"That's not a good idea, Miss Amid. I'm an adventurer; I might get into trouble any day and die. Talking about favors is useless; it's better to pay upfront." Roy laughed. He definitely didn't want to owe favors if he could solve things with money; free things are the most expensive.
"Ah~ The energy required to lift the curse is beyond my expectations, I feel so dizzy." Amid held her forehead with her slender hand, her delicate body swaying.
Roy chuckled, "Keep pretending, keep pretending!"
The renowned "Battlefield Saintess" of Orario would go to great lengths to do someone a favor.
"All right!"
After a moment, Roy finally relented. Amid had come to him on her own initiative, offering timely help. This was different from when he went to Amid for help. Having exhausted his mental energy twice, this kindness could not be bought with money.
Amid's eyes lit up, and she immediately regained her spirits, smiling broadly. "Mr. Roy's strength is recognized by the gods, how could he be in such a bad situation so easily?"
Roy gave a forced smile, "Thank you for your kind words!"
Seeing Roy looking like he'd just eaten a bitter melon, the silver-haired beauty suppressed a laugh. She didn't have any ulterior motives; she was simply curious about Roy.
The monsters' fierce reaction upon seeing Roy —
A moment later, the sanatorium came into view. Amid jogged over, not forgetting to turn back, "Mr. Roy, good luck in the next war game!"
"Thank you!" Roy nodded.
The members of the Deankat Familia watched this scene in astonishment. As expected of the succubus of the Astrea Familia, even their saintess was falling for her.
Especially the main god Dean Kate, whose eyes were fixed on Roy, revealing full vigilance, as if afraid that the other party would steal his cash cow.
Roy also paid for Ryu's medical expenses.
To be honest, he really wanted to recruit Amid to the Astrea Familia. Exploring the dungeon with only Cassandra as a healer wasn't enough.
When the time comes, not only will she have to repay the favor, but Amid will also have to work for him obediently.
But doing this is somewhat unfair.
They had just helped them lift the curse, and he was already plotting against them; this was truly repaying kindness with enmity.
Roy dismissed the idea, realizing that prioritizing profit would only lead to destruction.
Back at the Star Garden, before even entering, Roy heard the girls cheering and jumping for joy.
"How much has it improved?" Roy asked.
When the girls saw Roy return, they all crowded around him, sharing their abilities without reservation, their joyful voices echoing throughout the living room.
After being resurrected, the goddess Astrea has updated the stats of everyone except Roy.
Tione and Tiona, both at LV.4, each gained 1,500 points, with all attributes except magic power averaging at E level. Daphne's durability, Cassandra's magic power, and Lily's dexterity saw significant increases, while other attributes hovered around H or G level.
The key is for everyone to achieve great things!
Not to mention the powerful enemies they encountered on their expedition, while others teetered on the brink of death, they had truly died once and been resurrected. This achievement would be considered a great feat at any level!
They had just leveled up before the expedition, and the terrifying increase in their abilities was enough to prove how difficult the hardships and battles they had endured were.
The concept of time is blurred in the underground city.
They stayed deep underground for more than ten days, while more than a month had actually passed on the surface.
So while this increase is surprising, it doesn't reach the level of a "miracle".
"Congratulations!" Liu sincerely expressed his congratulations.
The girls held hands, as close as sisters.
As long as the ability values are increased, everyone can level up. Roy looked through the window with cold eyes towards the direction of the pleasure district. Ishtar Spring Clan!
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