Chapter 68: Ascension: Phantom Lord Arc (Part 2)

[Main Mission 1: Repel the invaders and protect Lucy from being taken away by the "Element Four" of the Phantom Lord guild.]

[Success Reward: 3000 Points]

[Failure Penalty: Erasure]

[Main Mission 2: Not yet unlocked.]

The rules of Ascension Missions strictly prohibit spending points to acquire mission details in advance.

So, it was only now that the Three Legendary Sannin finally understood the objective of the task.

As they read the task panel, which provided a brief overview of this world and its mission description, the three exchanged glances and frowned.

"...A world of magic?"

Having undergone several missions from the Lord God, the Sannin had learned not to waste the information available in the Exchange Panel. Every day, they dedicated time to browsing it—so that they wouldn't be completely clueless if sent to an unfamiliar world, especially regarding the local power systems.

Among the various classifications, "magic" was one they had studied.

Their conclusion: the primary differences between magic and ninjutsu lie in how energy is acquired and released. Beyond that, the two are strikingly similar.

In fact, magic tended to surpass ninjutsu in both variety and functionality.

However, even if two worlds used "magic," their systems could differ significantly, meaning preparation needed to be tailored each time.

"There's no time. The mission starts in just a few dozen seconds. We can't possibly browse more exchange options now…"

Tsunade frowned and muttered with irritation, "And who even is this Lucy? What's her identity? It's annoying that we can't exchange for more detailed intel on the worlds here—would've made things so much easier."

She said it without much thought—but someone else was listening intently.

Hearing his sister's words, Nawaki—observing everything from the system's perspective—suddenly lit up.

That's actually a great idea. In the 21st century, what's the most valuable commodity? Information!

He could totally sell background intel on different worlds, listing them in the Reincarnation Space's Light Pillars for Reincarnators to exchange.

After all, information might sell even better than most items!

Tsunade had no idea her casual complaint had inspired a new feature for the Lord God System.

After grumbling, she said again,

"I still have 5,000 points left. Before the mission starts, I'll exchange for some items."

"I've got 3,000."

"I have 4,800."

Jiraiya and Orochimaru responded in turn, and the three quickly discussed and exchanged for a few prepared items—ones they had planned in advance in case the mission world required targeted support.

Soon, three items materialized before them:

[Friend Ledger (Replica) [B-Rank Item]

Allows the user to summon either a random monster or one of their contracted pets in any world. Summoned creatures do not retain memories after being dismissed.

Uses Left: 3/3 | No Cooldown | Cost: 3000 Points]

[Imagine Breaker (Replica) [A-Rank Item]

For 10 seconds after activation, the user's right hand gains the power to nullify all supernatural powers it touches—friend or foe, good or evil—regardless of origin.

Uses Left: 2/2 | Cooldown: 1 hour | Cost: 5000 Points]

[Death Immunity Badge (Replica) [B-Rank Item]

Automatically negates a single instance of fatal damage. Grants absolute immunity once.

Uses Left: 1/1 | Cost: 3000 Points]

Each item or ability was allocated to one of the three: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

Just as their preparations concluded, the cold, mechanical voice of the Lord God echoed:

[Preparation time has ended. Ascension Mission beginning. Removing protective barrier.]

Hearing the announcement, the Sannin's expressions instantly turned serious. As the mission approached, their combat instincts kicked in—they became even more focused.

It was a habit forged through countless battles.

As the Lord God's voice faded, it was as if an invisible screen shattered with a crisp snap.

Tsunade looked out the window and was startled. Just moments ago, the sky had been bright and sunny, but now the light had dimmed. Raindrops began to patter gently on the windowsill.

In just two or three seconds, the weather had shifted dramatically—what was clear skies had turned into a curtain of soft, steady rain.

A sudden shower?

"Ugh… is this really just a rain shower?"

While she was still wondering, a young woman's voice echoed from the alley outside the window.

Her instincts triggered, and Tsunade ignored the rain as she rushed to look outside.

There, in the narrow alley—barely three or four meters wide—between two wooden residential buildings, she spotted a girl with golden blonde hair, just as dazzling. The girl tilted her head up, confused, catching the raindrops in her hand.

A blue butterfly ribbon tied her ponytail, and she wore a light shirt while holding a bag of fruit bread—now soaked from the rain.

"Could she be Lucy? The one we're supposed to protect?"

Seeing the girl, Tsunade frowned. The likelihood was high.

Orochimaru gave a slight nod as well.

If this girl really was Lucy, then the mission briefing only mentioning her name made sense—since they'd encounter her quickly anyway, no need for extensive background.

Jiraiya's voice broke the silence as he analyzed,

"If she's the mission target… then what exactly is the 'Element Four' of the Phantom Lord guild?"

"Element Four… if it's based on Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind," Orochimaru murmured, a strange gleam flashing in his eye, "then this sudden rainstorm might mean we're facing the Water element…"

He flicked his tongue and licked a fang—ever since strengthening his vampiric bloodline, his thirst for blood had grown stronger and stronger.

He wondered… what would this girl's blood taste like?

Just as his voice fell, footsteps echoed from the far end of the road—rain boots stepping on cobblestones.

"Who's there?!"

Lucy reacted quickly, raising her head and staring alertly ahead.

To her surprise, a girl clad in blue—from hat to curls to jacket and boots—was calmly walking toward her. Her eyes were a chilling shade of blue, and every step from her rain boots echoed clearly.

The girl looked at Lucy and suddenly spoke, her voice as clear as water droplets rippling on a lake.

"Drip… drop… drip…"

"Huh?"

"That's right. Juvia is the Rain Woman. Drip… drop…"

"What kind of woman are you?" Juvia continued walking, half asking, half mumbling to herself.

"Um, who exactly are you?" Lucy clutched her soggy bag of bread, several black lines forming on her pale cheeks. What kind of weirdo is this?

"Drip… drop…"

"…" Lucy.

Juvia seemed to ignore her completely, àwalking straight past. Then, from who-knows-where, she pulled out a dainty parasol, resting it over her shoulder. Her tone suddenly became much lighter.

"Interesting. I hope you enjoy yourself."

"Seriously—who the hell are you?!" Lucy shouted, practically flipping a metaphorical table.

But just then, a strange voice echoed from below the ground, drawn out and mocking.

"No, no, no, no, no~~"

The earth suddenly bulged upward. Rocks morphed, twisting into a bizarre figure—a man in a ragged tuxedo, with strange green hair like a bird's feathers, a monocle on one eye, and an eccentric gentleman's appearance (or so he claimed?).

He twisted his body into an awkward pose, grinning wildly, and spoke in a deliberately dramatic voice.

"Abandoning your post like this? That won't do at all, Lady Juvia.

My monocle whispers to me… this girl here is our precious target."

~~~

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Remove the parentheses btw