Chapter 123: Hatred and a Holiday
"How should I put this? It feels like the anonymous top player has fallen from his pedestal," someone commented on the player forums.
"What do you mean by that, user above me?"
"It's been over a month, and the anonymous master only just broke level 30. Doesn't that count as falling off?"
"The levels get incredibly hard to grind later on. The required EXP jumps into the tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. Someone did the math—from level 1 to just past level 30, you need something like 1.3 million EXP."
"I'm curious, is the average player level even 15 yet?"
"Probably not?"
"Then isn't the anonymous master's level completely normal? He's only double our level; it's no big deal."
"Exactly, exactly. When he first broke level 10, he was double our level. Now he's at level 30, and he's still double. Totally reasonable."
"Damn it, why can that guy level up so fast?!"
Apollo stared at the forum thread, a knot of frustration tightening in his gut. He didn't understand. He worked himself to the bone every single day—attending classes, grueling physical training, and hunting monsters—wishing he could split every minute in two just to get more done.
Even with all that, he had barely managed to claw his way to level 23. Level 30 still felt like a distant, shimmering dream.
And he was a student at an Advanced Training Academy, on the fast track to Schicksal Headquarters once he completed his coursework. Unfortunately, the curriculum was projected to take at least three years. The gap felt immense.
'But at least this proves one thing,'Apollo thought, a grim sense of satisfaction cutting through his exhaustion.'The mysterious Descender isn't Funahiki Gyō. Our people are hunting him right now; he has no time to be playing a game.'
It was true. Apollo's agents had located Funahiki Gyō, but they had been completely unable to eliminate him.
Strange, grotesque Constructs had erupted from Funahiki Gyō's body. His strength was terrifying; bullets couldn't even scratch the mechanical legs he now possessed. Those same Constructs could tear through solid walls with ease and spray a toxic mist that would kill an ordinary person on contact.
When reports of Funahiki Gyō's fearsome new power first reached him, Apollo had genuinely believed he'd found his man. He was convinced the mysterious Descender had to be him, and so he dispatched numerous assassins.
The results were a disaster. His agents were either killed in brutal retaliations or returned empty-handed, shaken and defeated.
Throughout all this, the Funahiki family remained completely indifferent to their scion being targeted. They simply ignored the assassination attempts, treating him as if he no longer existed. He had been modified by Jackal, after all, and could no longer fully control his own body, let alone his mind. No matter how high his level or how impressive his stats became, they were now a cruel joke.
He had been utterly abandoned by his family.
In his place, Funahiki Shin—having learned from his past failures—had grown considerably. He took over his brother's former position and, with Cocolia's backing, was slowly but surely getting his affairs in order.
As for Funahiki Gyō, after fleeing the constant assassination attempts, he had vanished without a trace.
Now that Apollo knew the top Descender wasn't him, a faint flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. He had wasted so many resources on a false lead.
At that very moment, aboard a hulking cargo ship, Funahiki Gyō was huddled inside a stale, dark shipping container on the lowest deck.
He wanted revenge. He wanted revenge against Rovel Suou. It was all because of him that he had become this half-human, half-ghost monstrosity.
It was all his fault...
He had completely, conveniently forgotten that it was his own plot against Rovel that had prompted the retaliation in the first place. Everything that followed had nothing to do with Rovel; he was the one who chose to make a deal with Gray Serpent, a choice that led directly to his current, wretched state.
But blinded by a hatred that consumed all reason, he was long past the point of self-reflection.
All he wanted now was to tear Rovel Suou into ten thousand pieces.
Suddenly, the world around him dissolved. His eyes glazed over, turning dull and vacant. Without any device or medium, Funahiki Gyō's mind was forcibly linked to the Honkai World.
"Let me see..." Jackal's voice echoed in the void, cool and detached as she examined the data stream that was Funahiki Gyō. She hummed thoughtfully. "Let's modify the gender today. As I thought, females suit my aesthetic tastes better."
And so, under Funahiki Gyō's silent, despairing gaze, he was "excised" by Jackal. His body was twisted and remodeled, his form forcibly reshaped into that of a feminized Death Weaver.
"Brother! Brother..."
The moment Rovel accepted the call, his sister Yuki's youthful and energetic voice burst through the speaker.
"What's wrong?" Rovel asked, a curious smile touching his lips.
"Tomorrow, I'm going on a trip to relax, and I want you to come with me!" Yuki declared without a hint of hesitation.
"A trip... Is there anywhere you want to go, Yuki?"
He felt a pang of guilt. He had been immersed in the Honkai World for days on end and hadn't spent much time with her.
Yuki, for her part, had been completely focused on improving herself. As she'd put it, since her brother was so outstanding, she, as his sister, couldn't afford to fall behind. She now pestered Raven almost every day, begging to be taught more skills. When Raven wasn't available, she would go out alone, hunting Death Soldiers and Honkai Beasts to raise her skill proficiencies and level up.
Her progress was astonishing. Yuki had already reached level 26. Her Basic Sniping skill was at the Minor Accomplishment stage and was rapidly approaching Great Accomplishment. Even her Basic Fighting had just broken into the Minor Accomplishment stage.
"I've already booked a couple's... cough, a travel hotel! I'll drive over to pick you up tomorrow, Brother. Just the two of us!"
Yuki had misspoken halfway through her sentence and quickly, though not very subtly, corrected herself.
Rovel sighed, already anticipating her antics. "I just hope that when we arrive, we find a normal hotel and a normal restaurant for dinner." He knew his sister all too well.
"Brother, we're siblings! There's no need to be so particular. If you care too much, it'll make it seem like you have... feelings... for Yuki... hehe."
A strange, mischievous laugh bubbled out of her.
"Even if we're siblings, there should still be a proper distinction between men and women," Rovel complained, though his tone was fond.
"That's settled then! Brother, get some rest early!"
Yuki simply chose to be deaf to his words, letting his comment go in one ear and out the other.
Since he had already promised her, he figured he should prepare properly. Rovel informed Mei and the others in advance that the Descender would be away for a while. Mei, in particular, clung to him for a long time before finally, reluctantly, watching him log off.
Although it was well past midnight, Rovel decided against going to the Elysian Realm. A trip with Yuki was a rare treat, and he wanted to be ready for it.
A gentle weight settled on his body, pulling Rovel from the depths of sleep. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Morning, my dear brother." Yuki was leaning over him, pressing half her body against his chest with a cheerful grin.
Rovel let out a wide yawn. "It's only five-thirty. Why are you here so early?" Although he felt quite energetic, the force of habit made him feel a little drowsy.
"Hehe, because I'm going out to... get away... with Brother today, I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night! So I came over before dawn." Yuki sat up, planting her hands proudly on her hips.
"Why are you censoring the word 'travel'?"
"To cover up the real purpose, of course! Hey, you!" She leaned forward again, propping her hands on either side of his head and looking down at him. "Your cutest little sister is sitting right on top of you, and you have no reaction at all?"
Rovel felt a wave of weariness wash over him. "Then what kind of reaction do you want?"
"An erection, of course!"
"Heh..."
Yuki's cheerful expression froze, a vein starting to pulse at her temple. "'Heh'...? What does that 'heh' mean?!"
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