Psalms 118

The white void faded, giving way to clarity as Arthur and Alice stepped back into the science facility.

The images of Alice's past were still vivid in his mind. To think that an agent from the French government would actually be a player.

From her backstory, it dawned on him that Alice was no puppet of Elysium; she was a spy entrenched in a mission to dismantle the organization from the inside.

Her approach mirrored his but differed fundamentally. While he operated externally, targeting the root of the problem from the outside, Alice's efforts were solely to the game itself.

Beneath that shared goal was another, more pressing issue: the loyalty of the other players.

Arthur considered Alice's belief that not all of the players were complicit in Elysium's schemes, viewing most of them as innocents. She had faith in William, Jada, Margaret, and Jasper.

But Arthur knew better.

For instance, Jasper was the heir to the Reza Group, another rich entity like Elysium. Arthur saw Jasper through a clearer lens; while innocent, he was also dangerously ignorant.

Maybe the DRM was smart enough to train Alice physically and mentally, but emotionally, Alice was still lacking. Being in this psychological world of wars was not helping either.

Perhaps she did love Jasper enough for the two to be together if they survived this. Yet their love was most certainly being tried.

Then there was Alexander. That was where Alice's optimism fell completely apart. The intelligence agency she worked for dug into Alex's past, unable to uncover anything. And based on Arthur's dealings with Alex, that player was a wild card, possibly the most dangerous player here—even more so than Arthur himself, who was often looked at through a veil of fear.

"Alice," Arthur began, "what's your ultimate goal in telling me all of this? What do you truly want?"

She hesitated, revealing a depth of her commitment. "To unite everyone and finish the game. Everyone but Alex and I was told something before entering here, and I believe you were told something too."

Arthur hadn't known that the others were given rules by Dr. Kapoor prior to them entering the pods.

The first rule was that there would be a specific sign in the sky if a player's character died. Or in this case, received a game over. Arthur, who had activated this rule after dying, had not seen that sign.

The second rule was that everyone's mental and physical states would be translated in the virtual world, allowing their characters to blend in with the new physics of the environment based on how they were on earth.

The third rule was that medical personnel were responsible for monitoring the players' vital signs from outside the pod, suggesting that players' health was being tracked in the real world.

The last rule was that they would remain in the game until they reached a conclusion, indicating a potential goal or endpoint to their participation.

Should Arthur tell her what rule he was told?

While he appreciated the sentiments she shared, he knew how naively optimistic the notion was; not everyone shared the same purpose. Then there was what Alice had said about the players—her conviction that they were innocent.

"You're wrong about them, Alice… Some have their own agendas, and as far as I'm concerned, Jasper and Alex are dangerous in ways you have yet to understand."

"I believe Jasper's being used…"

What she implied was that Jasper wasn't even aware of Elysium's motives. Who could blame her since she was the closest to him out of everyone right now?

"Maybe," Arthur conceded, "but Alex is different, and those two are likely working together."

Alice wondered how Arthur could come to that conclusion. As far as she knew, Jasper hadn't once hinted that him and Alex were working together.

"Then what's your end goal, Arthur?"

"Just like I announced before: to destroy the world…"

She smiled at him, pleased he had been forthright. "I thought you might say that. But you've got a long way to go to make that happen. And sure, they're just NPCs, but they act so real that I often forget about earth. Can you really take on the whole world?"

"All things are possible with God," he recited from Matthew 19:26. "So watch me…"

Alice was left momentarily stunned by the audacity of his declaration. She didn't think he was serious. "You think you can take them all on yourself? I get that your character's stronger than me, but what about Margaret? She's no weakling, Arthur. She's one of the more powerful players we have."

"And here you are, questioning my strength?"

"It's nothing personal," she said. "I've seen enough to know what's out there. Look, Arthur, what makes you think you can keep going when even Naruto outmatches you?"

The statement was a full-blown one that honestly offended Arthur. "Think I didn't get stronger since the last time we fought?"

"Still," she persisted, "it's the truth."

"And that's why I still don't trust you…"

Alice blinked in disbelief.

"After everything I've showed you?" she exasperated. "I did that because I believed you were the only one who could help. How can you still doubt me? It wasn't easy for me to share those, you know. What's it going to take?"

Arthur quoted from the Bible. "Psalm 118:8. 'It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.' If you truly want me on your side, and you refuse to be sealed, then do this one thing…"

"What is it?"

"Send Naruto on a solo mission… That's it."

"Why would you want that?" she asked.

"Because I'm going to kill him," Arthur bluntly stated, devoid of preamble.

Alice gasped, trying to process what she just heard. Could she even go through with his request? Naruto was the main character, after all.

"You can't be serious!" she tried reasoning. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm very serious," he coolly countered. "He's just a virtual character, Alice. He doesn't have a soul like the rest of us. If you object to this, you won't be hearing from me any time soon… And I can assure you it would mean I won't ever attempt to help you stop Elysium. It's either this fake place or me; which side will you choose?"

The implications were evident. What Arthur was proposing was that it was either this virtual world or him. Otherwise, he wouldn't help her try to take down Elysium the way she wanted.

The animus within her expression changed as she considered things.

"Alright, I'll do it," she eventually declared. "I'll deliver him into your hands."

Arthur tilted his head slightly back to show how solemn the situation was. "You have three days…"

With that command, he performed the Flying raijin before vanishing from sight.

Back in Sun Stream Plaza, Arthur was spotted sitting on the magnets he had taken. He was in deep thought.

The players traversed different routes—some deep in discussion, others exploring the world. He now rested in a curious state of introspection, contemplating his next move.

Despite having Alice's identity revealed and knowing she was aware of his continued existence, he found himself more convinced than ever that she would keep his secret safe.

Right now, the other players were in a daze as to who "Kaito" was. They think he's just some random, over-buffed Sound shinobi Orochimaru had created due to a butterfly effect.

Alice could have disclosed it many times already—that Arthur was alive—when they met confrontationally, during their revelations, or even now. Yet she purposefully chose not to help the others make the connection.

And regarding Naruto, she knew full well that if she wanted Arthur to go with her plans, she would have to orchestrate something to get Naruto by himself. That also meant no tricks were involved, like another player's intervention.

As Arthur considered his next steps, he became even more interested at the thought of killing Naruto.

The main character's role had been a consistent impediment, always getting larger than Arthur had preferred. Moreover, amidst his conversations with Alice, it became clear Naruto represented a more significant threat if left alone for too long. Not only was he revered by many within the game, but he had also become symbolic of their beliefs—something Arthur had to snuff out.

Alice believed that Naruto was stronger, a misconception that needed to also be dismantled.

Removing the main character from the picture would possibly allow Arthur to reshape the narrative—eliminating the proverbial anchors that kept players in line with this world's pressing desires.

The prospect was not something to pass up. And if Alice truly could help, it would get closer to dismantling the primary pillars upholding the game; he could have an easier time removing the central figures stifling his pursuits as easily as peeling off a rotten skin.

And who better to start with than the beloved Naruto Uzumaki?

As everyone understood about Naruto, it's that he was not born with the same advantages that many other shinobi possessed.

Initially depicted as a careless and inept ninja, Naruto struggled through his academy years, failing to graduate multiple times. This early part of his journey, however, provided a foundation defined by sheer determination and a refusal to give up.

The heart of Naruto's abilities as a shinobi stemmed from this pursuit of improvement and his deep-seated desire for acknowledgment from others.

Upon meeting his "friends" who understood him, and even given a family member by his side, Naruto had gone through some notable changes. Because of that, he managed to harness an unparalleled amount of chakra earlier on, as well as gain quick access to the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Even without that Tailed Beast, his raw chakra reserves were vast—at least four times greater than that of a Jōnin like Kakashi Hatake. This immense reservoir allowed him to endure lengthy battles without showing signs of fatigue, and through training with people from earth, he learned to control and utilize his chakra much more effectively.

And it wasn't just the players by his side; he actually trained under skilled mentors like Jiraiya and Fukasaku, a toad sage. And by training, it wasn't spending time with a Sannin for three years without showing anything for it; he was progressively perfecting techniques.

This was really a hypothetical Naruto who grew up alongside friends who understood his lineage and past. In that alternate scenario, he received the proper guidance early on.

Although he still grew up an outcast, he still found the emotional and practical support of friends, going as far as learning about his parents and the responsibilities tied to being a Jinchūriki much sooner.

In terms of offensive capabilities, as Arthur knew it, Naruto still relied on the Shadow Clone technique and the Rasengan.

And because of William telling Naruto the secret of Shadow Clone training, each time the main character trained, he did it with clones, allowing him to dramatically refine his techniques within short time frames.

That was why the "Green Beast," an alternate taijutsu persona Naruto developed, even became a thing. Through abusing that Shadow Clone glitch, he effectively shortened the learning curve faced by most shinobi.

Then there was Naruto's Rasengan, something he learned far faster. Not Jiraiya's tutelage, but William's.

Now, Arthur knew all these things because there was a flying raijin mark still inside William. And from what he understood based on their conversation, Naruto had initially struggled with learning the Rasengan. Through perseverance, the boy not only cultivated the technique; he developed larger and more powerful variations, going as far as acquiring the Rasenshuriken three years in advance.

On top of learning those new techniques, he had also learned to properly utilize his wind chakra nature. For instance, he knew much more wind variation ninjutsu.

Furthermore, there was his relationship with the Nine-Tails. Initially, accessing the beast's chakra made him lose control, but now those two had developed a slight mutual respect for one another.

One can imagine how, with friends by his side, encouraging him and giving him strength, he learned to balance this power more swiftly, fostering a deeper trust in Kurama far earlier in his journey.

And the power-ups didn't stop there. Naruto had already undergone training at Mount Myōboku to perfect Toad Sage Mode.

The earlier version of Naruto that we remembered thrived on determination and resilience. Now that the main character had the chance to grow up surrounded by supportive friends, he embodied a skilled ninja of his lineage and evolved to a more fortified hero.