Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 976: People Who Strive to Survive Better

The blue-haired, blue-eyed girl floating in mid-air, with her form and the radiant lights floating around her, could only possibly be created through ultra-realistic CG... in the real world.

But right now, this is reality.

The girl, who claims to be numbered 003 and named Alaya, slowly descended to the ground. Her soft posture was like a feather drifting down. After landing, Alaya walked directly toward Luo Qiu.

"This little girl... Why does she seem like she knows Luo Qiu?" Song Ying, still somewhat calm, thought to herself. This was likely the result of the training passed down through the mercenary family, further enhanced by her experiences in a recent hospital zombie incident, which taught her that the world was not as simple as it appeared, keeping her relatively composed.

Song Haoran did not respond, instead focusing intently on the scene, barely blinking for fear of missing a moment.

Han Bingjiang had already died, yet blood still flowed from his wounds, soon forming a pool on the ground. At this moment, Sweatshirt Joan shakily stood up, staring at Alaya, seemingly afraid.

As for White-clad Joan, after finding Paul, she had been holding him tightly in her arms, like a doll, her expression dazed.

When Alaya finally reached Luo Qiu, Red-clad Joan instinctively shrank her neck in fear and slowly backed away a few steps.

Alaya, who stood only as tall as Luo Qiu's chest, lifted her head, revealing her flawless, jade-like face with no expression whatsoever.

[Question: Should Root Authority intervene in the temporal disorder of the Third Main World?]Alaya's voice lacked emotion, almost mechanical, with no rise or fall, but it was still remarkably pleasant to hear.

"Root... Authority?" Luo Qiu blinked, suddenly asking, "Me?"

[Question: Should Root Authority intervene in the temporal disorder of the Third Main World?] Alaya repeated her inquiry mechanically.

"What does Root Authority represent?" Luo Qiu frowned. This seemed like an opportunity to learn more about the true nature of the shop behind him.

Undoubtedly, this mirrored world had been created by the will of the Main World. Since this girl called herself the manager, could she represent a part of that will?

[Repeat Question: Should Root Authority intervene in the temporal disorder of the Third Main World?]

Luo Qiu paused for a moment, then said, "If I want to intervene, what will you do?"

[Answer: Administrator No. 003, Alaya, as a sub-administrator, holds the power to rewrite any program, and is above sub-administrator No. 003, Alaya. The sub-administrator cannot intervene.] Alaya, blue-haired, blue-eyed, spoke without emotion.

Luo Qiu remained silent for a moment before glancing at the others nearby, especially Song Haoran and Song Ying.

Unexpectedly, Alaya, the girl named Alaya, suddenly spoke:

[Question: The map contains unnecessary interference factors. Should the administrator remove them?]

"If you remove them, I'll be in a tough spot," Luo Qiu shook his head directly.

[Understood.] Alaya nodded slightly, then suddenly spoke again:

[Question: As Root Authority, why are you being partial? Question: Unable to understand.]

Luo Qiu calmly replied, "You said my power is above yours, so what I want to do shouldn't be restricted by you... which means I don't have to explain myself, right?"

[Affirmative: The administrator cannot intervene with Root Authority.] Alaya nodded again and then asked:

[Question: Should Root Authority intervene in the temporal disorder of the Third Main World?]

Luo Qiu thought for a moment, amid the different silent reactions of the others.

Finally, Luo Qiu slowly spoke: "If I don't intervene, what will you do?"

[Answer: Return everything to normal, remove any elements that should not exist in the Third Main World, and implant connecting memories into everyone present. The cause of death for the human who died will be altered. It is recommended that the cause of death be changed to falling from a great height, resulting in a fatal head injury.]

Alaya stretched out her hand and pointed at Han Bingjiang, who had already died.

Luo Qiu frowned. "Does this affect everyone involved? Including the people outside the airport?"

[Affirmative: The administrator can handle this perfectly.]

Luo Qiu continued, "What about the three Joans here? What do you plan to do with them?"

Alaya responded:

[Answer: It is recommended to use the primary plan, leaving the one with the strongest main consciousness, and restoring the original trajectory. The remaining two will be expelled into the seams of time and space. Perhaps they will survive, or perhaps they will become food for the Void Abyss Demon.]

"How do you determine which of the three is the strongest?" Luo Qiu asked curiously.

[Answer: Humans possess a strong will to survive. Therefore, the one with the strongest will to live will survive.] Alaya slowly replied:

[Suggestion: Perform a simple survival battle.]

At that moment, as Alaya finished speaking, the three Joans were suddenly pulled into the air by an invisible force.

Red-clad Joan and White-clad Joan screamed simultaneously. Even Paul, who was being held by White-clad Joan, was dragged into the air.

Only Sweatshirt Joan remained unusually calm.

Meanwhile, a steel plate suddenly appeared in mid-air.

After the steel plate appeared, it rapidly expanded like a wave, forming a massive iron platform in mid-air.

At the same time, the ground beneath it suddenly disappeared, revealing an endless abyss of blackness.

[Explanation: The area below is a dimensional rift. Falling means failure. The last remaining individual will return to the normal trajectory.]

Faced with Alaya's incredible ability, Song Haoran and Song Ying felt utterly insignificant, drenched in sweat... but they could not speak!

They didn't know when they had lost the ability to open their mouths. They could only watch and listen, as if they had been forgotten.

"This is really simple," Luo Qiu observed, watching the platform form and the three Joans land on it. "Simple and primitive... But why are you taking this child up there?"

[Explanation: Same reason.]

Luo Qiu nodded and glanced at the Red-clad Joan he had saved. "So, you just mentioned a primary plan. Does that mean there’s a backup plan?"

[Affirmative: If the target cannot be identified before the time ends, the administrator will personally eliminate all individuals and create a new one to enter the original trajectory.]

"Time?"

[Answer: Before the limit point of the temporal disorder.]

"How much time is left?"

[Calculation: Two hundred and ninety-three seconds.]

Just as Luo Qiu and Alaya were conversing, suddenly a furious scream rang out—not from the already mad Sweatshirt Joan, but from Red-clad Joan.

Red-clad Joan was trembling, standing on the edge of the steel platform, shouting at Luo Qiu and Alaya, "What the hell is this!! You can't just decide other people's fate like this! Who do you think you are?! Let me down!!"

[Explanation: The administrator has the power to manage and rewrite the trajectory of the Third Main World. This is their responsibility. The individual’s request is denied.]

Red-clad Joan screamed in terror: "Why am I being subjected to this? I am the real one!!"

She raged, pointing at the Sweatshirt Joan and Black-clad Joan on the platform, "They're the fake ones! Why should I be with them?! It's not fair! Not fair!! Let me down!! I am the real one!! Why should I...!!"

[Answer: The individual’s request has been denied.] Alaya replied emotionlessly:

[Reminder: There are two hundred and sixty-three seconds left.]

The red-clad Joan, at this moment, looked with horror at the abyss below the steel platform... just one glance, and the endless abyss seemed to want to swallow her whole.

But she unwillingly looked towards Luo Qiu, pleading, "Save me! Please! I'll do anything you want! Save me... aren't you some kind of authority? Didn't this girl say that if you nod, she can't stop you? So please, save me!! I'm the real one, I'm the real one! Believe me! Believe me!"

Luo Qiu replied, "As of now, all three of you are real, none of you are fake... the only difference is that you come from different timelines. Since this is the decision of the world’s will, I'm sorry, but I don't plan to change it... and there's no reason to do so for now."

"How could...?"

Red-clad Joan instantly collapsed to the ground, as if losing her soul, turning into an empty shell.

But just then, an excited laugh came from behind her—it was from Hoodie Joan.

Red-clad Joan looked at this Hoodie Joan, who was just like her but much more insane, and her body couldn’t help but tremble as she hugged herself tightly.

Hoodie Joan, holding a dinner fork, slowly walked toward Red-clad Joan, her eyes cold and her smile cruel.

Hoodie Joan chuckled, "You're scared, aren't you? That’s right, because when I first experienced this, I was just like you... but don't worry, soon you won't be afraid anymore. Because you will disappear forever, and I will become you!"

"You... have you experienced this?" Red-clad Joan nervously looked up at the devilish figure approaching her.

"Sometimes. Sometimes not. Sometimes, if you kill fast enough, it’s assumed you can exist."

Hoodie Joan sneered, "But sometimes, those guys are more stubborn, and if I can’t kill them right away, I end up dragged into this place. 003? Seems like this so-called Alaya is actually a lot of them... but they're all the same, rigid. Every time the solution is the same. How boring!"

"You... don’t come closer, don’t come closer!" Red-clad Joan instinctively moved back.

But soon, her palm touched nothing—behind her was the dimensional gap below! This shock made Red-clad Joan scramble to the side.

"There’s one thing Alaya actually got right," Hoodie Joan said, walking calmly toward Red-clad Joan. "Only the one who adapts to the environment, the one with a stronger will, can survive better... You guys, born lucky, why do you get to enjoy this happiness? What right do you have?"

Suddenly, Hoodie Joan kicked Red-clad Joan in the chest with a fierce force, sending her tumbling—her body almost falling off the edge of the steel platform!

In her panic, Red-clad Joan tried to get up, but her legs had already slipped over the edge, and her frantic efforts caused her to lose her balance—she plummeted toward the platform's edge!

A scream of terror.

Fortunately, in the last moment, Red-clad Joan's hands touched the edge of the steel platform—she hadn't completely fallen yet.

However, unfortunately, she only placed herself in a more dangerous, nearly hopeless situation.

"This is just making you struggle a bit longer," Hoodie Joan said easily, stepping on Red-clad Joan’s fingers, gently rubbing them, "Give up, your life is already over!"

...

Watching the dominant Hoodie Joan and the seemingly failing Red-clad Joan, Luo Qiu suddenly asked, "This so-called Root Authority identity should have been given to me by the shop behind me... So, what does this shop mean to you?"

Alaya's eyes glowed with a faint blue light, the light spread and then gathered again, seeming to indicate deep thought.

[Query: Cannot understand.]

Luo Qiu furrowed his brows... In this mirrored space, the connection with the club seemed to be somewhat blocked... but it wasn't very obvious.

It was probably like radio waves traveling through the air, with an additional layer like sponge in between.

"Even you can't answer?" Luo Qiu shook his head in disappointment, "So, even the will of the main world can’t answer...?"

[Query: Cannot understand. Denial: The world’s will governs everything, there shouldn’t be unexplainable phenomena. Sub-administrators cannot represent all.]

Though still emotionless, her tone seemed to imply urgency to prove something. Luo Qiu just shook his head, then smiled and casually patted Alaya's head, "Alright, I won't ask anymore, and I don't doubt the world’s will."

[Query: Meaning cannot be understood... behavior.]

Luo Qiu just smiled, withdrew his hand, and looked up at the steel platform.

Alaya tilted her head, seeing that Luo Qiu had stopped asking, and looked up at the platform as well.

Hoodie Joan was stepping on Red-clad Joan’s fingers, grinning, but still not letting her give up completely... Red-clad Joan was still holding on.

Just then, a shadow suddenly appeared behind Hoodie Joan—her body was knocked off the edge of the steel platform!

It was White-clad Joan!