Chapter 98: Gua! You're Trying to Frame Me! This is a Scam!
The moment the video appeared, everyone in the chat group clicked on it.
The footage opened, centered on a young man. As the camera panned, however, a collective gasp seemed to echo through the digital space. Directly opposite the man stood a bizarre, winged figure—an angel of grotesque proportions.
At first, they dismissed it as just another monster with a strange design. But as the video played and the so-called "Pseudo-god" came into full view, an overwhelming sense of divinity washed over them, even through the screen.
No, that wasn't quite right. It was a distorted divinity, a holy presence twisted into something deeply unsettling. Many players shivered instinctively. An existence of this magnitude… if they had encountered it, death would have been a certainty. Yet Wu Wenwen, Liu Haoran, and the others had somehow managed to return alive.
In that moment, any lingering doubt about their claims vanished. Haruto was a "big shot among big shots."
To escape unscathed from a boss of that caliber—if that didn't qualify him as a top-tier player, then there were likely no true powerhouses left in the entire Death Game.
As for actually killing the Pseudo-god? The thought didn't even cross their minds. Just coming back alive was a miracle. Slaying it? Utterly impossible. If that were true, the "big shot" who accomplished it couldn't possibly be human.
The footage continued.
Haruto calmly reached into the void, a crack in reality opening beside him. From the Gap, he produced a parasol with a handle of pure, unblemished white. As he slowly unfurled the canopy, its delicate lace trim seemed to push back the oppressive darkness of the instance, a single point of purity in a world of gloom.
Pale green demonic power, vibrant and alive, coiled around the parasol like a serpent, gradually compressing and condensing at its very tip.
It was then that someone noticed something was wrong.
The Pseudo-god in the video hadn't moved an inch from beginning to end. At first, they had assumed it was a display of contempt. But the more observant players caught an expression that should never have appeared on such a being's face: terror.
In the next instant, the Pseudo-god seemed to shatter its invisible shackles. It spun around abruptly, a clear attempt to flee, but it was too late. Haruto had already raised the tip of his parasol, the grin on his face widening just slightly.
"Magic Cannon—!"
A pillar of dark green, destructive light erupted from the parasol, instantly engulfing the Pseudo-god's fleeing form. The beam didn't stop there; it lanced straight through the heavens, tearing through the overcast clouds and carving out a patch of clear, blue sky.
The video ended.
The group chat fell dead silent.
Someone silently lit a cigarette, their hand trembling slightly. Another stared blankly at the screen, their mind reeling. A few, unable to process what they'd just seen, clicked the video to watch it again, and again.
If the Ghost Phone didn't have built-in anti-tampering features, they would have accused Xie Lin and the others of faking the video to scam them out of money.
"6"
"6"
"6"
"6"
A flood of the same single digit filled the chat as everyone began spamming it in unison. The group had probably never been this united. Only this simple number could convey the sheer, dumbfounded awe they felt.
If they were ordinary players struggling to survive, then the young man in the video was someone who had toggled on every cheat imaginable, forcibly changing the game's genre from "survival horror" to "genocidal rampage."
Haruto hadn't expected Liu Haoran to have actually recorded that moment. He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his eyes, and silently saved the video to his own phone.
Marisa stared at Haruto, then back at the phone, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"This is you?"
"Who else could it be?" Haruto replied, his tone deadpan. "The video is crystal clear. It's not like you can't recognize me."
"When did you get so powerful? B-But I clearly remember you couldn't even beat me before!"
"Haven't you heard the saying?" Haruto sighed, patting her shoulder with an expression of deep seriousness. "When you haven't seen someone for three days, you should look at them with new eyes. We haven't seen each other for a whole week. Isn't it normal for me to get a little stronger?"
Marisa's eyes widened further, her face screaming, Are you sure it's just 'a little' stronger?!
Haruto pressed on. "Young lady, I happen to have a training method that guarantees you'll get stronger quickly. Interested?"
"Yes!" Hearing this, Marisa's eyes began to sparkle, and she nodded vigorously.
"Louder! I can't hear you!"
"Coach! I want to learn!"
"Good," Haruto nodded, satisfied. "Seeing how sincere you are, and since you're my good friend, Marisa, I'll give you a discount. Not 9,999, not 999, but just 98 talisman cards."
"Um…" Marisa trailed off weakly. "I had a bit left before, but you asked me for over a dozen last time. This is all I have now."
She reached into her baggy trousers and, after a moment of fumbling, pulled out a small, sad-looking stack of talisman cards. A quick count showed only six.
"It's fine, it's fine," Haruto said magnanimously. "Like I said, we're friends. I'll give you a massive discount. Six cards it is."
Marisa was moved to tears, sincerely offering the talisman cards with both hands. "You're such a good person!"
Having been inexplicably handed a "good person card," Haruto just shrugged, not caring much as he casually stuffed the talismans into his pocket.
To the side, Reimu watched Marisa get thoroughly hoodwinked and sighed helplessly. But then she remembered that Haruto was her personal "God of Wealth" who would help her make a fortune, and she could only offer a silent apology to Marisa in her heart.
"Wait…"
Marisa suddenly realized something. She leaned closer to the Ghost Phone, staring intently at the parasol in Haruto's hand in the video and the talismans stuck to its canopy.
"Is this… Kazami Yuuka's parasol?"
Haruto nodded.
Marisa took a deep breath and asked tentatively, "Are those talisman cards on it Kazami Yuuka's talisman cards?"
"Otherwise?" Haruto asked back, not blinking an eye.
Faced with his matter-of-fact attitude, Marisa still clung to a sliver of hope.
"That blast in the video… did you fire it?"
"If I had that kind of strength, would I let Mother Yukari bully me every day?" Haruto shook his head with a world-weary sigh. "I would have long since overthrown my oppressors and sung songs of joyous liberation."
"..."
Marisa was silent for a good long while. Then, she slowly extended her hand toward Haruto.
"What?"
"Refund!"
"No money. I only brought three silver coins, and I gave them all to Reimu."
"Gua! I'm talking about the talisman cards!" Marisa shouted, her face flushed with anger. He even lied to her! What happened to being good friends?!
"No can do," Haruto shook his head, his expression dead serious. "Small business. Once the goods are sold, there are no refunds."
"You haven't even given me the training method yet! What do you mean 'no refunds'?!"
"Who said I didn't? Check your pocket."
"...Huh?"
Marisa reached into her pocket doubtfully and, to her surprise, actually pulled out a folded piece of paper. On it was written: Kazami Yuuka's Hellish Special Training Simulation Ticket (One-Time Use).
Her eyes instantly filled with resentment.
"I'm really not tricking you this time," Haruto said. "How about this? Fire two shots at me."
As he spoke, he stepped out of the room onto the open ground outside and beckoned to Marisa.
Marisa was skeptical but did as she was told. She took out her Mini-Hakkero, injecting it with magic. A small flame "whooshed" to life, growing brighter and brighter—
Boom!
A Magic Cannon shot straight toward Haruto, but he didn't move an inch.
Framing!
This guy is definitely trying to frame me!
Marisa panicked. It was too late for regrets. All she could do was shout anxiously.
"Gua! Get out of the way, hey!"
At least in her memory, Haruto definitely couldn't withstand this attack. He would likely end up on a medical slab at Eientei, and if he did, she'd probably have to go lie there right next to him.
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