Chapter Sixteen: The Nine Dragons Pagoda, Gathering of the Factions

‘…Congratulations, player! Unique deck successfully established! [Imperial God]—Sealed Beast Card!’ The GM’s voice was cold and mechanical.

“What’s the difference between a Summoning Beast Card and a Sealed Beast Card?” Chen Ling voiced his question.

‘A Summoning Beast Card is essentially an equivalent contract. If the player meets the beast’s conditions specified on the card, they can summon and use it. However, beasts summoned this way do not care about the player’s survival—they only complete their contractual tasks. (Note: Summoned beasts might renege, refuse, or even set contractual traps…) A Sealed Beast Card is different. It is created by the player sealing the beast with the card—no conditions, and the beast will protect its master unto death!’

“So you’re saying, in principle, Summoning and Sealed Beast Cards are the same, but summoned beasts retain their own will, while sealed beasts always prioritize their master’s safety above all else!”

‘Exactly. That’s the main idea. Of course, some high-level, intelligent beasts may retain their consciousness even after being sealed into cards!’ Unexpectedly, the GM gave Chen Ling a thorough explanation.

Afterward, Chen Ling peppered the GM with a flurry of questions, all of which the GM answered in detail.

“One last question! Really, the last one! Why are you being so patient and thorough this time? Do you treat every player like this?”

‘Of course not. Have you forgotten the title you earned?’ The GM’s tone oozed disdain.

“You mean… GM’s Good Helper?” Chen Ling checked his Hall of Honors, surprised.

‘That’s right!’ The disdain remained.

“But there’s no description of its effect…” Ignoring the derision, Chen Ling pressed on.

‘I’m beginning to doubt your intelligence, dear player! Haven’t you ever heard of hidden effects??!!!!’ The GM suddenly raised its voice, startling Chen Ling.

“Oh, I get it now… Alright, bye!” Chen Ling responded feebly and exited the GM interface.

On the outskirts of the players’ game zone—or rather, in the outer space surrounding this game planet—a silver tower crouched, entwined by nine dragons. An invisible energy field, nine slumbering divine dragons, and an aura of boundless power—this was the [Celestial Pagoda of Nine Heavens], the ultimate control hub of “The Human Game,” where every player’s personal GM resided in human form. That’s right, human! Artificial intellects were no longer trusted by humans—or by any highly intelligent race for that matter. Tasks previously handled by AI had been replaced by humans; anything that couldn’t be replaced had to be monitored by the [Mech Guardians] at all times…

Inside the first floor of the [Celestial Pagoda of Nine Heavens]…

“Why did my sister assign me to GM such an idiot?! Ugh, what a hopeless case…” On the first floor, a petite girl in blue and white attire—her figure delicate yet shapely, her face childlike and flawless—puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Anyone unaware of her real age would think she was eternally youthful.

“Xiao Ye, count your blessings! The player you manage has higher permissions than most of ours. In the future, you might even stand on equal footing with your sister!” A nearby girl, also in blue and white, spoke enviously, trying to comfort her.

“Yes! Xiao Mei, I’m going to reach the sixth floor one day!” Encouraged by her friend, the childlike girl clenched her fist with determination, her companion grinning supportively beside her.

“Xiao Mei, stop laughing—your chest is about to pop out! Want me to hold them for you… heh heh…” The girl’s gaze roamed over her friend’s bouncing assets, her hands twitching mischievously as she joked lecherously—a true female rogue.

“Oh? Sure! Go ahead, you’ll see there’s much more to compare!” Xiao Mei retorted proudly, lifting her chin and refusing to back down.

“Ah! Xiao Mei, you… Just wait, I’ll teach you a lesson!” Enraged by her friend’s mockery, the girl gave chase, while Xiao Mei fled, giggling. Laughter and playful shouts echoed throughout the first floor of the Celestial Pagoda, painting a scene that would have left any man drooling—if any men were present.

Fortunately, the entire floor was populated solely by women—and beautiful ones at that, of every style and grace, a veritable tableau of fairies. It was paradise within paradise.

The women of the first floor were long accustomed to Xiao Ye and Xiao Lan’s antics. It was all part of daily life.

――――――――――――――――――Back to the Game Zone――――――――――――――――――

“Why was the GM so much more personable today…” Chen Ling mused, amazed there were even hidden effects. He shook his head to clear it—no point dwelling on the GM. His focus now was how to use the [Divine Seal Card] to capture beasts. “According to the GM, the success rate for sealing beasts of levels one to three is decent, but at level four it drops to only thirteen percent… That’s just ridiculous…” Chen Ling could only bemoan his luck.

Glancing at the clock on the wall—a near perfect replica of those on Earth—Chen Ling pulled up the covers and declared, “Sleep!” The night passed uneventfully.

Knock, knock, knock!

Sunlight streamed in as Chen Ling, still half-asleep, was roused by persistent knocking. “Who is it?” he mumbled, glancing at the clock.

“Boss, it’s me. Time to go! That so-called leader wants to see us today!” Zhang Long’s voice jogged Chen Ling’s memory—yesterday’s conversation with the Execution Leader. Seeing the clock’s hands at ten, he reluctantly got up, dressed, washed, and left his room.

Waiting outside were not only Zhang Long and Xing Ye, but also the white-haired chief from yesterday. Seeing the others waiting, Chen Ling felt awkward, but the chief showed no displeasure, saying gently, “Now that all three Sages are awake, please follow me. The other new Sages joining us will meet us shortly.”

“Where are they? Aren’t they staying here?” Zhang Long asked.

“Of course not. Those Sages joined later, so they’re on the first floor. The third floor is for earlier arrivals, but it’s already full,” the chief explained.

Chen Ling understood—the other players weren’t like the three of them who joined [Execution] immediately at the leader’s invitation, so they had different accommodations… He wondered how many there were.

Led by the chief, the trio entered the central hall. It was already bustling—about a thousand people, far more than Chen Ling expected.

As the three, guided by the white-haired chief, strolled in, discussions broke out among the assembled players. Some even jeered openly, “Hey! You three seem pretty relaxed! Do you really think we’re nothing?”

“Yeah! Look at you, escorted by that old man with white hair.”

“What’s so special? Probably just got lost, right? Hahaha!”

“That’s right, that’s right!” As Chen Ling ignored them, more voices joined in. Meanwhile, the white-haired chief made no move to intervene. Are they testing me? So the Execution Leader isn’t just a brute—he knows strategy too, Chen Ling thought.

Since you want to test me, I’ll give you a performance! Chen Ling’s smile turned cold. With a flick of his wrist, a card shot out, slashing the loudest heckler’s neck. The player barely noticed, only realizing something was wrong when the person behind him collapsed, a palm-sized card embedded in his head. Blood soaked his collar—a one-hit kill. It was just a pity the wrong target fell. Chen Ling made a mental note of his own handiwork.

Indeed, the man he’d targeted was the one who had started the heckling. Chen Ling held grudges.

The lightly wounded player was still relieved at his “narrow escape,” thinking it just a scratch.

But the rest of the crowd was anything but calm—angry shouts erupted from all sides.

“Damn it! You looking for trouble? Boss, let me deal with this trash!” Zhang Long lost his temper and snapped back.

“Come on! I’m right here, waiting for you!”

“You think you’re all that? Pick five, or ten, or a hundred. Come at us if you dare!”

“…!”

The taunts flew back and forth. Though the dead player had instigated things, everyone believed Chen Ling had gone too far by killing him.

“Zhang Long, enough!” Xing Ye intervened, seeing Zhang Long’s face flush with anger.

“Hmph! You bastards just wait!” Zhang Long retorted, then fell silent.

“Hey, kid’s got guts!”

“Damn it! Doesn’t know his place! Watch out or you’ll be the one killed next!”

“You little—” One player tried to curse, but was cut off by a furious roar.

“Even if you are Sages, you can’t do as you please! Shouting, brawling, and foul language in the hall are punishable by death!” The Execution Leader made his entrance at just the right moment…