I relax my shoulders and breathe out a refreshed sigh as I start to walk away from The Oracle and head towards the conference room.
As I walk the smile on my face instantly vanishes the second I am out of sight of The Oracle.
I do hope she can become an ally before I reach Class 4, for her sake.
Dark thoughts creep into my mind as I contemplate The Oracle’s tenuous position in my plans.
Barely paying attention I come to a halt in front of a large set of oak doors carved with star patterns and runes.
Pushing the double doors open I readjust my expression before walking inside.
Clap!
“Okay everyone, we have a problem to solve: How do we direct all The System controlled people to focus their anger on the Demon Lord instead of us?”
Speaking loudly, something I am still not used to, I get the attention of my party members before I start fishing for ideas.
Looking at the team collapsed on the couches from the exhausting work today I feel a bit bad but ultimately brush it off.
My question is met with nothing but complicated expressions as they all struggle to come up with anything on the spot.
“We need to find a way to maintain our position before The System makes even the influence of my Hero Title useless. Most of all we need to be able to keep people wanting to free themselves from The System.”
As I break things down the silence in the room continues to become more and more unbearable.
Finally, sitting up from her position sprawled across the couch, Sera looks over at me with a serious expression.
“You mentioned that there was a temple that blocked out The System right?”
“Yeah? What about it?”
“Can we maybe recreate that effect?”
Hmmm, I had been mainly focusing on using it for my Demon Lord activities so I didn’t really consider the uses for my Hero side.
Though… What could I use it for now?
Seeing the confused look on my face, Sera explains further.
Apparently, she had the idea that if we can build a safe zone from The System, then anyone coming to find us would end up disconnected and have no choice but to calm down when they enter the radius.
It is an interesting idea, using the protection of a temple’s safe zone as a way to break people from mind control.
“But… then we would just be stuck hiding away.”
I can let us b e stuck with such a passive approach. I would lose too much time if I just sat on my hands like that.
This time Randall raises his hand from the side before interjecting.
“Perhaps it is best if we avoid other people from now on. Let your Anti-System Kit spread and allow the people to calm down.”
I agree with him that acting immediately would be rash, but-
“Wait, that is it!”
My face brightens as the idea starts to form in my mind.
“We can go underground and build up a secret movement!”
“””What?”””
Now it is everyone else's turn to be dumbfounded again.
“Just think, we can start passing out the kit and secretly growing our influence and forces before mounting a counter attack.”
Agera looks hesitant at the subtly aggressive approach.
“You really think that is the best idea? The system already found us out once.”
“Yep! This is war, and if I learned anything from my life on earth, it is that guerilla tactics are super effective.”
“Lua, I am not sure that is the right term exactly…”
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Alice chirps in from the side, providing a small correction to my babbling.
“Eh, close enough.”
I wave off her nitpicking as I look over the others.
Sera, looking the most concerned about this plan as I explain my thoughts, raises her hand.
“But, if you are working underground, then what about the Demon Lord?”
I am sure after the devastation I caused across the continent that she is hesitant to leave humanity alone.
But I think she still has the wrong idea.
“I will be honest Sera, we simply don’t have the strength to make a difference ourselves at the moment. We need to get a lot stronger before we can even think about fighting against the Demon Lord.”
“But-”
“Sera. Just fighting a single demon was a harrowing experience for us. As far as the reports go, all the demons spotted were only Class 3, if we have to face a Class 4 demon we would be screwed.”
“Ah.”
I don’t want to be too harsh, but she is a bit too hopeful about my abilities.
My statement takes a moment to sink in, and her face pales just thinking about a Class 4 demon.
Agera, noticing the bad direction Sera is heading, tries to change the topic.
“You said you need to build a special room for your ascension or something?”
“Oh, yeah, I have most of the materials for the construction already. But I think I will have to build it as we move.”
Now Agera is the one looking uneasy.
“Move where? And how?”
I start to grin a bit at his reaction.
I need to stop this sadistic side of myself from showing, ugh.
Locking my face in place, I place my hands on my hips.
“Well, Sera said we should look into recreating the temple’s safe zone. I think that is a good idea regardless!”
“But isn’t the demon lord using it!?”
Suddenly glared at a bit by the others for her careless suggestion, Sera shouts out trying to convince me otherwise.
“Geez, we don’t actually know that for sure. And besides, recon is recon even if the subject matter changes.”
Everyone grimaces at the thought of trying to spy on the Demon Lord should they be at the temple.
Sera raises her hand again.
“I thought you said it was in The Sea of Trees?”
Not really sure why we are raising our hands like this is a school classroom, but ok.
“It is. Just a short distance into the second ring.”
I don’t really understand the question she is asking though.
The look on Sera’s and even Agera’s face begins to get worse for some reason.
I look over and even Alice is looking at me strangely!
What? I don’t get it!
“What is with you and that forest? You keep going back every time you make it to civilization for five minutes.”
As Alice complains I see a message pop up that shows her true feelings.
[You nearly died in that damn temple! Why the hell do you want to go back?!]
Ok, that is understandable. I guess that situation was pretty hard on Alice…
“Look, it is just a quick jaunt into the second ring. What could go wrong?”
Nobody looks convinced.
----------------------------------------
“Well, What do you think?”
Sitting in the king’s office, The Oracle sits exhausted on the plush sofa.
“Hmmm, I think it is certainly not the worst timing. Every nation is still recovering from the attacks, so the chances of being attacked is low.”
Currently the kingdom of Alcott has advertised its relationship with the Hero and now, after Lua’s demonstration, everyone knows that they are a part of this.
Freeing people from The System, they should have known it would not be that easy.
Sighing, the king leans back in his chair.
“We will have to work extra hard to keep the world’s anger directed at the Demon Lord. It is like The System does not even care about the chaos this quest will bring.”
As the two national leaders complain back and forth, The Oracle looks over the king with a slightly motherly look on her face.
“How are you holding up?”
“Ah, the magic? Well, I can use my magic pretty freely for the most part. I did use that little device the Hero passed out to get a handle on things.”
The king was disconnected before he had a chance to finish learning to use all of his skills outside of The System.
A national leader, even if not the backer of the nation, not being able to use their magic is a big deal.
“How about you?”
At the king's return of the question, The Oracle sighs for what is likely the hundredth time today.
“I am having no issues with accessing my skills. Though I must say it is still terrifying… knowing that The System had been influencing my thoughts for so long.”
The Oracle shivers at the sensation of anger she felt when The System Quest went out.
Having her mind not be her own is something she is sure she will have nightmares about for years to come.
Along with those memories about fighting that demon.
“Yes… Now all we can really do is fight back before The System can cause too much damage.”
The king gazes down at the wood and crystal ring on his finger.
Creating a way to hide from The System so easily and at only Class 3… It is a bit strange now that I think about it.
With that musing though drilling its way into the king’s head, he and The Oracle get back to discussing how to prevent this “quest” from making this worse.