Two days passed quickly.
On a beautiful sunny day, the highly anticipated War Game finally arrived, with all eyes in Orario fixed on the two Familia.
Roy checked his equipment.
His Wind Chaser Boots had been used for special effects so many times that Roy himself couldn't count, and normal use also caused wear and tear, leaving their durability at 29%.
His most frequently used Village Good Sword had 46% durability.
The mystic ice blade (magic sword) could still be used once.
Giant Killer (greatsword) dealt more damage to larger enemies, but against ordinary humans, its damage dropped to the level of the Village Good Sword.
The rest were bottles and jars of potions, and his most crucial trump card, the Giant Summoning Card.
Roy took a deep breath; success or failure hinged on this moment.
When Roy, Miss Liu, and Goddess Astrea arrived at the Underground City entrance of Babel Tower, the area was packed with people, three layers deep, making it impossible to move.
There were citizens who enjoyed the excitement, Adventurers who had gambled large sums, and a small number of people who had received help from Astrea Familia, their expressions filled with worry.
Due to the unique nature of this War Game, Lord Uranus and the Guild did not allow a "God Mirror," which is a city-wide live broadcast. Neither the defeat of a righteous Familia nor the mutual slaughter of both sides were suitable scenes to broadcast, as they would have too great an impact on Orario.
Everyone could only wait on the surface for the results.
The Adventurers around regretted it immensely; they had been in the Underground City earlier and only learned about the War Game once they reached the surface. It was too late to go back, missing an opportunity to watch a good show.
But then again, if they had truly been allowed to stay inside, they might not have been willing. The Dark Faction was like a pack of rabid dogs, and they might have turned on them.
Many fellow gods surrounded Goddess Astrea. "Astrea, are you confident?"
Astrea wore a gentle smile. "I believe in my children."
"Children?"
The gods nearby looked surprised. Astrea Familia should have only one member left, Gale.
Could there be powerful external aid? Yes, Astrea Familia had good relationships with many Familia. Temporarily borrowing a few high-level Adventurers should not be a problem…
When they saw Roy, he looked quite handsome and refined, but the gods had no impression of him. After learning his background, they felt a wave of disappointment; he was only LV.1.
They couldn't understand Astrea's thinking. How could an LV.4 + LV.1 contend with over a hundred people?
In reality, Roy and Ryu were secretive all day, and Astrea didn't know what they were up to. It was only out of unconditional support and trust that she cooperated with them, allowing things to reach this point.
It was impossible for Astrea not to feel a little worried, but as a goddess, she could not waver or show confusion in front of her Familia children.
Above Babel Tower.
Freya, seated high on her throne, a glint flashing in her eyes, said, "They've arrived."
"Otta, you must find it very strange, why I didn't let you help that child." Freya picked up her wine glass, swirling the red wine within.
"No, everything follows the Goddess's divine will!" Otta stood behind her like an iron tower.
"I don't dislike your compliant attitude," Freya smiled, her perfect face, crafted by the very essence of creation, capable of instantly charming even gods.
Freya smiled, "Don't forget, the War Game was proposed by that child!"
Only a very few people still noticed this point; most only saw the huge numerical disparity between Astrea Familia and Rudra Familia.
High-level Adventurers don't lose their minds that easily. If they weren't confident, they would surely choose methods like assassination, poisoning, or bounties.
Not a direct confrontation with the opponent.
"What a pity."
Freya murmured, it was too conspicuous. Even secretly using the God Mirror's fluctuations would be discovered by other gods. Being sent back to Heaven wouldn't be fun.
"Otta, can you knock out all those boring gods?"
"If you wish…"
"Never mind."
…
At this moment, the crowd parted to create a path, and Lord Rudra arrived with his Familia members, a grand procession of over a hundred people.
These were all the members of Rudra Familia.
At a glance, everyone wore savage smiles. Although they hadn't received help from the Thanatos Familia, they still had absolute confidence.
Upon closer inspection, most were LV.1, but there were also seven or eight LV.2s, and their Familia's captain and vice-captain, two brown-skinned men, were both LV.3.
They had a past record of defeating Goliath, the Floor Boss of the seventeenth floor, so facing LV.4 Ryu, no one showed a hint of reverence on their faces.
Looking at these villains, the citizens' faces showed disgust and fear, yet they were helpless.
Roy noticed the Elf Girl's shoulders trembling slightly with anger, her beautiful face tightly strained. He whispered, "Just a little longer!"
Only then did the Elf Girl suppress the rage in her heart.
A Guild staff member said, "Now begins the War Game between Astrea Familia and Rudra Familia. The challenge is to clear as many Underground City floors as possible within one day. Shakti Varma, captain of Ganesha Familia, will serve as supervisor!"
A blue-haired woman in a tight-fitting outfit stepped forward, an LV.5 Adventurer with the title "Staff of the Elephant God"!
The Adventurers of Rudra Familia had no objections. Shakti Varma was indeed a good friend of Gale, but would she dare to openly intervene and help?
If even one of them escaped, Ganesha Familia's reputation would plummet!
This was playing with the future of a Familia!
Shakti sighed lightly, the helplessness in her eyes already indicating her stance.
Ryu, in a voice as faint as a mosquito's, said, "Shakti, don't go to the tenth floor; stay on the ninth floor!"
Shakti looked at the Elf Girl before her, feeling inexplicably a little scared. What exactly was she planning to do?
Following Ryu's gaze, Shakti noticed the young man beside her. Was he the true trump card?
Under the gaze of countless people, both sides began to enter the Underground City, walking on opposite sides of the path. The contrast was even more obvious: Astrea Familia had only two solitary individuals, looking truly pitiful. Gods, Adventurers, and citizens alike shook their heads inwardly.
The disparity in numbers and strength was too great; they didn't believe Astrea Familia had any chance of winning.
Both sides arrived at the first floor's fork in the road.
Shakti said, "Separate here. Astrea Familia goes to the right, Rudra Familia goes to the left. I will verify the floors you have reached!"
Nominally, it was still a War Game!
There were still many people on the surface peeking and looking around. Any fighting would at least wait until deeper floors.
"How pitiful, only two people."
"Don't try to sneak out!"
"Hahahahaha!"
…
The members of Rudra Familia loudly mocked Roy and Ryu. No matter how you looked at it, this War Game was 152 against 2!