Chapter 1411: 466. Dual-Line Plan_2
Meanwhile, “Command” manipulated from behind the scenes, transferring the three cucumber slices into a dedicated ward, where their vital signs were maintained by a medical team controlled by Command itself.
Until the souls of the three cucumber slices were returned to their rightful place, no one would discover that these three players had lost their souls.
Under normal circumstances, facing such accidents, “Command,” as the Plane’s Core, could have simply wiped the players from existence to solve the problem once and for all.
But this time was different.
The souls and soul constructs of these three players had been stolen by the Metal Ancestor Dragon.
Their souls must be reclaimed quickly; otherwise, they could become the stepping stones for the Metal Ancestor Dragon to launch an attack on “Command.”
...
And reclaiming their souls required a ceremony, for which the bodies of the three cucumber slices were needed.
Thus, the bodies of the three cucumber slices were preserved, and “Command” had not erased them.
Speaking of soul-stealing, Noland Lee was quite familiar with it.
Really, he was quite professional in this area.
Back when he wandered in the Inner Cosmos, he had mastered the art of soul-stealing magic and had even extracted Nicolette’s soul from the hands of the Blood Sun Seal.
He estimated that once he found the souls of the three cucumber slices, it would still require his help to reclaim them.
…
…
Day Three after the battle at the Angel’s Voice Space Station came to an end.
“Command” and Noland Lee, who had been waiting for news, finally received an update transmitted by an avatar of the Assassin Angel from the Inner Cosmos.
Purple characters surfaced on the game interface:
“Just now, my division that I left in the Inner Cosmos told me that 15 soul constructs have entered the Inner Cosmos through a ceremony arranged by the Metal Ancestor Dragon. At this moment, these 15 soul constructs are likely being sent to the Barrier of the Inner Cosmos by the Metal Ancestor Dragon.” noveldrama
Noland Lee typed to ask:
“Can you ascertain the original identities of these 15 soul constructs?”
Purple text on the game interface morphed into images, depicting the 15 soul constructs as seen by the division.
These soul constructs exhibited distinct player characteristics—a mix of fear and restless small eyes, a curiosity that could not be concealed, and whispers that nearly resembled the furtive talk of thieves.
Besides being encased in a layer of metal armor by the Metal Ancestor Dragon, there were no significant changes on the outside of their bodies.
Noland Lee did not believe that the Metal Ancestor Dragon hadn’t laid any traps.
Beneath this seemingly simple exterior, each soul construct might carry the essence of the Metal Ancestor Dragon, or even harbor its avatar in some form.
After scrutinizing the images on the interface, as expected, Noland Lee saw the three cucumber slices.
The trio, just like the other players, were locked at the wrists by metal armors resembling torture devices, with chains binding their ankles to restrict their steps, and cages on their heads to prevent them from turning their heads left or right.
The three cucumber slices communicated with each other solely through eye contact, without speaking.
Their chat system seemed not to have been sealed by the Metal Ancestor Dragon; it was still in a usable state.
He looked at the other players.
They, too, communicated mostly through eye contact instead of words.
It appeared that the players, even though they were captured by the Metal Ancestor Dragon, still retained a small part of their player privileges.
The chat system was likely one of those retained privileges.
After a brief consideration, Noland Lee understood the situation.
The Metal Ancestor Dragon must have done this intentionally to facilitate these players in exploring the Illusion Space.
After all, a group of soul constructs that could communicate through the chat system would certainly be stronger than individuals who relied on sound to speak to each other.
“What do we do now?” Noland Lee asked.
“Command” wrote on the game interface:
“I’ve checked. Aside from Cucumber Slice, Winter Melon, and Kelp, the other 12 players were controlled by the Dark Divine Cult much earlier. The Dark Divine Cult has long since taken their bodies as well. What we need to do first is to confirm whether the souls of the cucumber slices trio have been contaminated. If their souls are deeply controlled by the Metal Ancestor Dragon or some other force, then erasing their bodies is the only choice.”
The Assassin Angel said:
“The souls of Cucumber Slice, Winter Melon, and Kelp have not been contaminated, at least not yet. I can confirm it.”
When Noland Lee saw this message, he thought of the Scroll Angel deep in the Inner Cosmos.
The Scroll Angel possessed the ability for active deconstruction and could easily confirm the status of these 15 soul constructs.
In contemplation, Noland Lee activated his soul connection with the Assassin Angel and quietly asked:
“Did the Scroll Angel deconstruct these 15 players?”
“Yes,” the Assassin Angel replied through the soul connection, not typing on the game interface, probably not wanting to reveal the existence of the Scroll Angel to “Command” at the moment:
“He told me that among the 15 players controlled by the Metal Ancestor Dragon, only the souls of the cucumber slices trio are still clean. This might be a trap deliberately set by the Metal Ancestor Dragon. It wants to draw out either you or me, who have been hiding in the shadows.”
Noland Lee nodded in response:
“I have the same feeling. Can the Scroll Angel deconstruct the Metal Ancestor Dragon’s main body and figure out what it’s really after?”
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible,” said the Assassin Angel:
“The Metal Ancestor Dragon’s ontological level is quite high, and it’s protected by Extraterrestrial Eternity. The Scroll Angel can’t get accurate results through active deconstruction for the time being. Whether it’s the regular active deconstruction or the Harmless Deconstruct Mode, it’s challenging to find the right answer from the Metal Ancestor Dragon.”