Infinite Gods Reign Supreme

Chapter 87 - The Arrival - Part 1
The world of Dragon Wars, before the arrival of the Celestials.

At the location of the Arctic team —

—【Northern Continent Team Main Quest: Survive for at least seven days and defeat the evil python Bragi. All members must participate. Receive one B-rank side quest and 6000 reward points.】

—[The current world setting is based on team battle rules; unforeseen interference has been ruled out. The West Sea Team will arrive when Bragi's Dark Legion is awakened, or at the latest three days from now. The Celestial Team will arrive one day after the appearance of the Serpent of Supreme Good, or at the latest seven days from now.]

—[In the Team Battle world, killing an enemy Reincarnation Squad member who hasn't unlocked their Gene Lock grants the Reincarnator one C-rank side quest and 2000 reward points. The team score is +1 point. Killing an enemy Reincarnation Squad member who has unlocked their Gene Lock grants the Reincarnator one B-rank side quest and 7000 reward points. The team score is +1 point. For each team member lost, the team score is -1 point.]

—At the end of the team battle, all participants will receive a bonus of 2000 points multiplied by the team's score. If the final score is negative, that participant will be removed from the team.

Liesel gasped for breath, her long, milky-white hair soaked with sweat, blood trickling from between her fingers, and waves of sharp pain shooting through her temples. She felt dizzy, and her eyes were filled with a myriad of stars.

"My memories are replaying... He's going through my memories! I can't beat him! Run!"

Her vision turned crimson, and memories from several days ago involuntarily flashed before her eyes. As a gene lock unlocker and psychic of the Arctic team, she naturally knew what was happening.

It's the West Sea Team, the opposing psychic powers.

He has broken through his mental barrier. And now, all sorts of intelligence about the Arctic team are being leaked!
"Run!"

A burst of gunfire erupted beside her. Amidst the bombardment of artillery and the hissing of snakes—she struggled to open her eyes, but could see nothing. A series of broken roars echoed through her mental link. Finally, it transformed into a man's low, sinister laugh.

Today is the sixth day since the arrival of the Arctic team. The Benevolent Serpent has been defeated, and the Dragon-Striped Daughter Sara is dead. The Dragon Pearl has fallen into the hands of the evil giant serpent Bragi and its allies, the West Sea team of reincarnators.

Come, let me see what your Arctic team has been up to these past few days.

Everything before my eyes shattered suddenly, and the excruciating pain in my mind intensified once more. But the next moment, a fragile mist seemed to veil my thoughts, and the intense pain vanished in an instant.

Everything returned to stability.

Liesel jolted awake and opened her eyes. The protective barrier of the Supreme God was slowly fading, while her teammates were rubbing their hands together, preparing for the battle to come.

[This is the first day; the Arctic team has just arrived, and the world's storyline has not yet begun.]

"Alright, the timing is perfect. Everyone, proceed as planned. Wedel, Yura, you two are responsible for surveying the surrounding terrain to see if there are any hidden supernatural forces. Gunnir, you'll come with me. We'll find the male protagonist, Ethan, and form an alliance with him. Tarot, Gotland, you two are responsible for protecting Liesel—Liesel, find the female protagonist's location as quickly as possible, and then contact the US military."

The person in command was a tall man with long, slightly wavy blond hair. He was encased in high-tech, futuristic powered armor, carrying a warhammer. And his name was—

"Liesel?"

Liesel strained to look away. A sense of resistance welled up inside her, preventing her from glancing at the team leader—something felt off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Even so, she knew she had to obey orders.

"Understood, Captain. I'll contact the US military right away... Wait, I think I saw the female lead. There are scanning black areas in that school-like building..."

Scanned black zones exist near some important plot characters and monsters. This serves as both protection and a warning. Only seasoned psychic users can understand this secret and react appropriately.

You avoided looking at the captain, but that doesn't mean you can avoid looking at anything else.

Her gaze shifted, and the two Arctic team members responsible for protecting Liesel came into view. They were a tall, thin middle-aged man in military uniform and a bald, muscular Latino man.

[Tarot, a B-rank vampire count enhanced. Possesses the CC-rank item Water Dragon Possession and has unlocked the first-tier gene lock. He habitually uses the water control ability provided by the item to create a false mist to conceal his presence. Dispelling it is ineffective, and if a melee user attempts to dispel the mist with brute force, the water will turn into a deadly poison, giving him an advantage—this trick is utterly useless against higher-ranking vampires.]

[Gotland Bird, C-rank Berserker Enhancement, wielding a power axe and Blackthorn Armor. No lockpicking… Ah, so this armor has a damage reflection curse. But how will he deal with area-of-effect magical attacks?]

Whispers echoed in her mind, and her companion's face twisted in Liesel's eyes. She seemed to see a cloud of blood mist engulf Tarot and dissolve him into blood foam amidst screams. And a sudden blizzard froze Gotland's blood-soaked body.

— [The Arctic team suffered one death, resulting in a negative team score of -2.]

excruciating pain.

The world before Liesel's eyes trembled.

She desperately covered her head, letting out a piercing scream. And as everything before her shattered once more, the eerie whisper still echoed in her ears.

[It's the third day now. The Arctic team has reunited with the male and female protagonists and established mutual trust with the US military. Bragi has already launched an attack on you. But you have successfully defended against it.] The shattered world before you has stabilized once more.

What came into view was a ruin ravaged by heavy bombardment. The enormous serpentine shadow scurried away into the depths of the mountains in a disheveled state. It did not yet possess overwhelming combat power.

"Now you can believe me. This world is threatened by evil forces. We must unite to protect our homeland and achieve victory! Make your decision, General. Stop sending soldiers to explore the Dark Legion's slumbering ruins; we should use heavy firepower directly!"

The Arctic team captain's voice remained impassioned. His words, amplified by Liesel's mental manipulation, carried particular weight. The American general who had recently fought alongside them hesitated, but ultimately made his decision. The missile launchers were ready, and the already revealing dark ruins were about to suffer a heavy blow.

--not enough!
Liesel screamed. Her voice echoed in her past memories, but she couldn't reach the figure of the person in her dream. Her teammates had suffered many injuries in this battle, but none had been killed. And now, everyone optimistically anticipated the victory that was to come.

—Use nuclear weapons! Cover that entire area with nuclear weapons… The West Sea Team's landing zone is within those ruins. Only in this way can we achieve victory!

She couldn't change anything; her teammates didn't even know the West Sea team would be arriving there. The Arctic team wasn't initially planning a fight to the death with the West Sea team. They simply wanted to complete the main quest as quickly as possible, and then, leveraging their already immense 'momentum,' hold out until the deadline for their return.

The air crackled with explosive sounds. Under the watchful eyes of the Arctic Team's reincarnators, two groups of 24 'Army Tactical Missiles' shot into the air, launching these powerful armor-piercing warheads towards the area where the ruins were located. Intense flames immediately erupted and surged. Meanwhile, a cluster of heavy bombers, scrambling to take off, unleashed a barrage of fire towards the ruins.

The fire rises.

A cold voice whispered in my ear.

[You caused casualties in the opposing reincarnation squad. A rebellious yet talented newcomer broke free from the mental power user's control and rushed into the bombardment zone.]

The reincarnators of the Arctic team paled in shock, for at that moment they heard the same solemn and reverent voice. The announcement from the Main God Space was unexpected, yet it also meant the unannounced activation of war.

—【One enemy Reincarnator killed, Arctic Continent team scores 1 point.】

The loot went unclaimed, but the team's score shifted due to the US missile bombardment. The God's judgment mechanism functioned smoothly at this moment, but this unexpected turn of events cemented the deadly rivalry between the two teams!
"Liesel! Deploy shielding! Hide the newcomer! Since we've already started, let's go all the way!"

The captain's orders had to be given. The Liesel of her memories was about to act. However, before she could actually do anything, her gradually reawakening spirit allowed her to successfully rediscover herself.

You must not look over there.

You should not respond to him.

The location of the newcomer's hiding place must not be known to the mental power users of the West Sea Team!
An invisible wind surged once more. A cold, chilling voice brushed past her ear again.

Why aren't you responding? Don't you want me to know? Ha... perhaps I should let you know just how vast the gap is between us.

The invisible wind transformed into dark tentacles, about to climb onto Liesel's shoulder in an instant. The stinging pain between her brows intensified again, and blood might even be streaming from her eyes in reality.

— [The Arctic team suffered one death, resulting in a negative team score of -1.]

She suddenly opened her eyes.

Reality and memory constantly intertwined in her vision. The death of yet another comrade came into her view. It was Wedder, wielding the Falcon armor and unleashing a barrage of fire from his tubular pulse rifle. He was pierced through the air by a pistol, revealing no intelligence or weakness, yet he was instantly obliterated in mid-air!
"come out!"

The chilling aura vanished abruptly, replaced by a blazing, sun-like energy that formed a blurry yet resilient humanoid silhouette around Liesel. The next moment, the humanoid's fist slammed forward with tremendous force!

[A Stand user? You actually managed to make it fight in the mental realm—]

The world of memories shattered abruptly. The battle between the psychic beings ended abruptly. Blood gushed from Liesel's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and the opposing West Sea team psychic being was briefly ejected from her domain.

Take a breather and seize the opportunity.

However, a harsh reality was revealed in her eyes—it was now the sixth day, and the West Sea Team had already established a firm foothold, assisting the monstrous python, Bragi, in regrouping. And just moments ago, the heroine, the daughter of the dragon, had been captured by the West Sea Team and successfully delivered into the mouth of the monstrous python, Bragi!

The transformation into a dragon has begun.

On the battlefield, the Serpent of Perfection, standing on the side of the Arctic Team, hissed uneasily. Meanwhile, as Liesel was being suppressed by the opposing psychic, a portion of the U.S. Army, who had initially sided with the Arctic Team, suddenly turned their guns on their former allies!
The tide is gone.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, a colossal demonic shadow unleashed a torrent of power.

(End of this chapter)