Unholy Player

Chapter 485: The Need for a Strong Army

After consuming the Synergy Crystal, Adyr had learned how to use his Grace with this level of focus, as he desired, similar to how his Malice transformed into armor.

For the last month, he had worked on it to make his control over it more accurate, practicing in silence whenever he could.

By healing his face first, Adyr aimed to demonstrate that he was fine and capable of handling the situation, erasing any signs of vulnerability that could be easily perceived.

It was a strategy similar to those generals who wear red clothing during wars so as not to show the blood stains if they are wounded during battle, with the intention that their soldiers’ morale not be broken and the enemy not think they are winning, a simple trick that could decide how long an army held its ground.

There was no war at the moment, but still, Adyr had to keep his face as the strongest and the ruler in front of them, the image everyone would remember when they left this place.

As expected, the impact was quite big on the 2 Players. This kind of healing was far better than any of their skills could produce, making them realize the power gap between Adyr and other Players once again, leaving them both impressed.

Adyr started to walk slowly out of the room. At the same time, he activated his Malice armor, shaping it into a thin layer of clothing that covered him up to his neck and hid the half-healed wounds beneath. His steps stayed steady despite the strain as he turned to Zephan and spoke.

"Let’s continue our tour. I still didn’t show you what I intended to."

Zephan and his Elders could clearly see he was forcing himself, yet they did not reject him. "Sure."

It wasn’t that they were so eager to see what he wanted to show. It was respect for his fighter spirit. If he said he was okay, then no one could say otherwise. Respecting his pride was the Lunari culture they had lived with all their lives, etched into their traditions.

The group then continued their tour inside the training building, moving together through the damaged corridors.

With Henry at the front as the tour guide of the visit, they took the elevator to the next floor, Level 3 this time, where the VR rooms were located.

The floor was different from the previous 2. Only dozens of small box-shaped rooms, neatly arranged like capsules across the hall, filled the huge space this time.

The floor was completely empty, as all the people from the previous emergency call had evacuated it, leaving it bare. Yet with the lights on and no visible damage on the walls or on the rooms, it was apparent the floor hadn’t been much affected by the quakes and tremors, leaving everything looking strangely untouched.

"Are the VR rooms active now? " Adyr asked Henry with his now completely healed face.

With his black smoky clothing covering most of his body, his missing arm was the most obvious reminder of his previous ruined state.

His face also looked dry and sunken, as if he had suddenly lost weight—a side effect of forcing his body to heal too fast, burning through too many calories and protein and leaving him with a worn, almost hollow look.

Henry, in response, glanced at the head researcher, who was still following them with his tablet clutched tightly in both hands.

"They are currently locked due to previous emergency protocols, but..." The head researcher quickly tapped a few places on the tablet screen in his hand. Soon a series of beeps and clicking sounds rose from every room, one after another, as the locks disengaged. "They are now active and ready to be used."

"Good, thank you." Adyr smiled, then added, "I want you to show Zephan and his Elders how the VR rooms work and help them to learn or increase the talents they need."

Adyr, finishing his words, gave a nod to the translator as well to indicate that she could translate it fully to the Lunari, her eyes immediately turning to Zephan’s group.

As expected, when they heard it, Zephan and his Elders looked shocked and at the same time excited.

To them, the limit—the wall that had kept them from reaching Rank 5—suddenly seemed breakable with the help of Human technology, which Adyr was now offering like a divine gift, a chance they had never even pictured for themselves.

—

"Are you sure it’s a good idea for outsiders to use the VR rooms? " Henry asked with a tired face, looking at Adyr, who was lying on the wide couch silently with his eyes closed, his head resting against the backrest.

It had been a while since they left the Lunari at the training building with the researchers and Rhys. The two of them had returned to the headquarters building, to Henry’s office.

"We need them to get stronger as well. They are our allies now," Adyr answered without opening his eyes, his voice calm but clearly worn out.

To replenish the lost energy and stamina of his body, he had eaten lots of nutrient capsules, but even so, looking at his face, it was clear he still looked tired.

"Can we trust them? " It was the main question that needed to be answered.

Yet Henry, recognizing that the issue had shifted beyond trust, rephrased his question while exhaling slowly. "Do you plan to open the VR floor to other races as well?"

It was now apparent what Adyr was aiming for. By showing his power and the advanced technology of the Humans, he was acting generous by sharing it with them, making them think they had a bright future if they walked with them, tying hope and dependence together.

"Yes," Adyr said, but feeling it wasn’t enough as an answer, he added, "You heard Zephan say that our potential enemies are not someone we can go against relying solely on ourselves. The blood cult is just one example of the challenges faced in the Midlands. ’’

Even if Adyr miraculously reached Rank 6 soon, with that power he could only hold their leader, another Rank 6, in a fight, barely balancing the scales.

So if the fight turned into an open conflict where armies clashed, then everyone except Adyr would clearly be wiped out in the face of such power, swept away like dust in a storm.

If they wanted to claim a place for themselves in the Midlands, they needed a strong army to make that wish possible, with at least a few Rank 5 at their sides, people who could stand on their own in that brutal hierarchy.

Apart from Silverlight Zephan, Liora the Earthshaker from Velari and Soulforge Throgar from the Gorathim race had good potential to reach Rank 5 with the help of VR rooms—names already circling in Adyr’s long-term plans.

Henry let himself sink into the softness of the couch as he fixed his eyes on the light on the ceiling. He could not find anything to oppose the decision with. He had no desire anymore to oppose it anyway.

But he still had one question. He needed it to see if Adyr was really thinking things through and hadn’t lost his mind, as he and the 12 City Managers had been fearing, a question that had been pressing at him from the start.

"Can you tell me why you killed all those people? "