Luo Qingyan was once again stunned by Lin Ran's plan:
"Are you that ambitious? Towards national-level autonomous weapons..."
"Then... then... then..."
Lin Ran grinned, winking mischievously:
"So I've decided to mark these hearts of disaster first, and once we've rounded up all those Forgotten Ones, we'll deal with them!"
"Today, I'll have both fish and bear's paw!"
Listening to Lin Ran's excited recounting of his ultimate plan, Luo Qingyan could only nod silently and give him a thumbs-up:
"As expected of you!"
Lin Ran chuckled:
"Alright, since the trouble here is resolved, it's time for us to move to the next area."
"From the analysis of the great formation just now, I've figured out the exact locations of their weak points. There won't be any mistakes."
"Not to mention, I've already placed a mark on that Mirage Demon, who is also one of the Forgotten Ones..."
"Even if they follow this soul imprint, they won't be able to escape!"
Luo Qingyan nodded:
"Alright, then I'll follow your lead. We'll go arrest them one by one..."
"After we catch them all, force out the ultimate mastermind, and then come back to collect the hearts of disaster to break the formations..."
"Is that the order?"
Lin Ran nodded:
"Of course!"
"However, besides these, we can also insert some other small episodes in between."
Luo Qingyan asked in confusion:
"What small episodes?"
Lin Ran then pointed to the urban area not far from the vortex they were currently in:
"Look over there."
Luo Qingyan followed Lin Ran's gaze and saw the Shadow Clan wreaking havoc.
Facing a city with no defenders, relying solely on defensive measures and intelligent AI, the Shadow Clan's assault was going extremely smoothly.
Emerging continuously from the spatial rifts, they were extremely arrogant, as if intending to destroy the entire city.
The ferocious beasts below were no less formidable, charging with equal ferocity, seemingly with the same intentions as the Shadow Clan.
"Are you saying we should go beat up these aliens or fierce beasts?"
"Or help those fierce beasts attack the Sakura City?"
Luo Qingyan was perplexed.
Lin Ran immediately put on a foolish face:
"How could that be... aren't both of those thankless tasks? Only an idiot would do that."
"What I mean is, the current situation in Sakura Country is extremely complex and chaotic. We can take advantage of this 'black eating black' situation and loot everything they have!"
"Since this isn't our main battlefield, even if we sink the entire Kyushu Island, we won't feel heartbroken. In fact, it might even be a little satisfying." "Moreover, we hold a significant advantage due to the secret agreement with the Sakura Country's ruler. A well-timed betrayal will teach them a lesson!"
"Plus, everyone in the city has been subjected to the Great Teleportation Spell by those Forgotten Ones and their whereabouts are unknown. Their plans have likely been disrupted by this sudden turn of events..."
"Those who conspired to rebel might have their plans exposed."
"So just thinking about it makes it seem incredibly exciting..."
"This is the perfect state for murder and arson!"
Luo Qingyan's expression became difficult, and she nodded:
"It seems... that's true..."
Lin Ran rolled his eyes:
"What do you mean 'seems that's true'... it absolutely is!"
"Come, let me count how many factions are currently within Sakura Country's Kyushu Island!"
"First, the most obvious ones..."
"The Forgotten Ones who fired the first shot, thinking they controlled the entire situation, and their helpers; the foreign races who began their large-scale invasion through spatial rifts; the fierce beasts who, for some unknown reason, are organizing vast beast tides; the mysterious divine official organization that seems to be playing both sides; the Sakura noble families represented by Tanaka Kenko, who are secretly plotting rebellion but are unaware that they have already been exposed; the Nightfall organization, who has held a grudge against us for some unknown reason; Deenoo, who faked his death and is lurking behind the scenes; Arthur Caesar, who has secretly allied and is preparing for an expedition..."
"These are just the ones we know about and are out in the open!"
"If we also count the hidden forces lurking in the dark that haven't been exposed, I can't even imagine how large-scale a melee this will eventually form."
"A group of powerful, self-serving individuals with ulterior motives gathered together. If they don't tear each other apart, it's impossible!"
Luo Qingyan listened to Lin Ran's lengthy explanation and finally began to accept these settings. Her smile gradually turned wild and excited:
"Then let's go! We depart now!"
"We'll fight whoever we see, beat up whoever we catch! We'll devour them all until not even bones are left!"
Lin Ran glanced at her strangely:
"I didn't expect you to have such a hidden berserker side... you're quite something."
"However, there's no need to fight battles without benefits. We'll act according to the situation then..."
"Let's go! The Forgotten Ones here have been dealt with, and the city below has basically fallen. This area has no further value."
"We're going to the next location!"
Luo Qingyan immediately hummed in agreement and, along with Lin Ran, stepped onto the Throne of Kings Vimana – arguably the coolest flying machine in history.
...
"Old Ten, Old Eleven, and Old Twelve... they seem to be dead..."
A zombie-like figure absently gnawed on its finger while lazily dangling its legs onto a lava rock.
"That's right. They've made the necessary sacrifices according to the plan. Their energy and crystals will inevitably return to the Red Moon..."
"Pity the naive Lin Ran doesn't know that the more fiercely he kills now, the deeper our restraint on him will become!"
"When he's killed all our brothers with his own hands, hehe..."
This time, it was a four-armed, snake-tailed Naga who spoke, comfortably soaking in a lava pool not far away.
The zombie shifted the position of its left and right legs and continued:
"Exactly... this guy could never have imagined that our ultimate goal is to die at his hands."
"He's definitely immersed in the sweet dream of discovering our location and eliminating three of us first, rushing towards one of us at full speed!"
The Naga sighed:
"I just don't know who that guy will choose first..."
"I, for one, really hope he comes our way sooner, so we can finish our part and get off work. Just thinking about it is incredibly satisfying."
"And if he comes late, we'll have to waste more time here, it's exhausting!"