160: Chapter 160 Don't Trust Archer—

"Boom — —" The heavy iron door slowly closed, completely cutting off the howling night wind and thick fog outside.

After experiencing the heart-pounding encounter with the Wolf King, the group finally returned to Saber Alter's secret base located deep within the abandoned subway station.

"Phew... I'm exhausted."

PD slumped onto the leather sofa; even in the VR world, the mental exhaustion from maintaining such high tension for so long still left him feeling drained.

In a corner not far away, Jeanne dArc Alter was clutching several newly purchased outfits, warily watching Saber Alter, who was sprawled out on the other end of the sofa.

Upon confirming that the other party wasn't mocking her taste, this tsundere Dragon Witch huffed softly, turned, and ducked into a small cubicle to try on the modern clothes she had been longing for.

However, Shinjuku Archer, who had been silently following behind, did not want to let PD rest properly.

"Master, now is not the time to rest." The old man tapped his cane lightly against the creased, worn-out map of Shinjuku spread across the coffee table.

"That beast's spirit origin was scorched by black flames; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The old man's eyes gleamed as he spoke rapidly, "In the previous battle, you should have already realized. The most troublesome aspect of that wolf is its high mobility, which rivals lightning."

"When it was unscathed, all the Phantasms in this Singularity were effectively connected by an invisible chain."

"No matter who we chose to attack, that wolf could cross an entire city block within minutes to provide support, dragging us into an inescapable encirclement."

Hearing this, PD sat up straight, his mind flooded with the memory of the terror when the Wolf King broke their defensive line earlier.

"You mean, strike while the iron is hot? We go out right now and drag that dead dog out to finish it off?"

"No, no, no, that's too risky."

The old man shook his head, "Beasts are often at their most dangerous when they are injured and retreat to their lair. Besides, we still haven't fully deciphered its true name, so the odds of success for a frontal assault are too low."

He used his cane to draw a circle around several red dots on the map.

"My tactic is — — it is better to sever one finger than to injure ten."

The old man pointed at the map and analyzed, "Among the Phantasms currently entrenched in Shinjuku, that dark-skinned Archer is always surrounded by a massive mechanical army; he is a tough nut to crack. As for the other Assassin, their movements are too mysterious; we can't find them at all."

The tip of his cane finally settled steadily on a theater icon in the corner of the map.

"Therefore, taking advantage of this vacuum period while the giant wolf is hiding in its lair licking its wounds and unable to provide support, we must go and squeeze the softest persimmon."

" [ Phantom of the Opera ] ."

The old man looked up, his eyes burning as he stared at PD, "He is a complete and utter madman. Furthermore, in this experiment of Phantasm fusion, he seems to have been corrupted the most deeply by some kind of malice; his mind is completely consumed with finding his so-called 'Christine'."

"A madman who has lost his reason and has no support is the perfect target for us to defeat one by one!"

This clear and incisive tactical analysis had the viewers in PD's livestream nodding repeatedly.

"Even though the old man slacks off in a fight, his brain is really useful!"

"Indeed, if the Wolf King hadn't jumped out to save him earlier, that Phantom of the Opera would have already been wiped out by Boss P."

"Tactical Master! Listening to the old man is definitely the right move. While the dead dog is nursing its wounds, let's go scatter the Phantom's ashes first!"

Just as PD was rubbing his hands together, preparing to head back out for a big fight...

"Ring-ring — — Ring-ring — —" That dusty, vintage rotary phone suddenly let out a jarring, vibrating sound in the quiet base!

Everyone froze. The old man's eyes narrowed slightly, and his fingers gripping his cane tightened involuntarily.

PD glanced at the old man with a strange look, walked up quickly, and picked up the receiver.

"... It seems you managed to survive the jaws of that beast, my accomplice."

From the other end of the phone came that familiar, hoarse, yet pleasant voice that identified itself as "Edmond Dantès."

"Count! You screwed me over so hard just now! Didn't you say Archer had surrounded Jeanne dArc Alter? How come when I got there, I didn't even see his shadow, and I almost got bitten by that dead dog!"

PD complained directly into the receiver.

"Oh? Is that so? Then perhaps it's just that I, a ghost wandering in the shadows, had slightly outdated information."

The man on the phone chuckled, with not a hint of guilt in his tone.

"However, considering you successfully retrieved the Dragon Witch, the information I'm bringing with this call will definitely offset the previous mistake."

The man's voice suddenly dropped, and the originally pleasant tone took on a hint of rare gravity.

"Regarding the mastermind ruling over Shinjuku, the one you are currently facing... the true 'Archer of Evil'."

"He is using all the citizens and gangs of Shinjuku as sacrifices to create so many Phantasm amalgamations, not to rule and dominate in these ruins."

"His true purpose is that central axis building located right in the middle of Shinjuku, reaching straight into the clouds."

The voice on the phone spoke every word clearly, as if announcing some irrevocable death sentence:

"That is not a building at all. It is a... 'giant gun barrel' capable of piercing the mantle and detonating the Earth's core."

"The madman's plan is to use some kind of massive conceptual armament as a bullet, and through that building, directly blow this planet... into smithereens!"

As soon as these words were spoken, PD's hand holding the phone trembled violently.

The entire livestream chat instantly erupted into a state of boiling chaos and shock!

"What the f***?! Blow up the Earth?!"

"What kind of absurd villain is this?! Before, at least they just burned away humanity to reset civilization, this guy is planning to just blow up the Earth like a watermelon?!"

"A giant gun barrel building?! Just how terrifying is Old Thief Gu's imagination?!"

"Why are we still fighting Phantasms?! Hurry up and go tear down that building!"

"The specific technology and the type of bullet used are still under investigation. But the time you have left is definitely running out."

The man on the phone seemed unconcerned with PD's shock; he paused, his tone becoming as cold as an ice cellar, even carrying a hint of warning:

"Finally, as your only accomplice, let me give you a piece of advice."

"Do not trust that old man with the cane."

PD was stunned, instinctively turning his head to look at Shinjuku Archer, who was standing in front of the worn-out map.

"Why? Didn't he just help us?"

"... Good and evil have never been a simple divide."

The voice on the other end of the phone carried a mockery that seemed to see through everything: "Even if he has stripped away his evil, even if he claims to be pure 'good'."

"But don't forget, he is still a part of that madman who attempted to blow up the Earth. That madness, enough to destroy the world, has long been carved deep into his soul."

"To trust an Archer so easily, even if it is the good side... my accomplice, you will eventually be dragged into an abyss of no return."

Click.

The phone was unilaterally hung up, leaving only an empty busy signal.

PD held the receiver, standing there blankly.

He turned his head and looked at the old man not far away, who was pointing at the map with his cane, smiling broadly as he waited for him to order an attack.

An indescribable chill slowly crawled up his spine.