Chapter 743: What Is The Development Team

GOR

"This is the last time?" Chen Xiaolian mumbled.

"The last." Duwei nodded his head slowly. "Judging by the damage it received in each preceding refresh, the present Zero City could no longer endure another refresh. If we cannot find another path, this coming refresh will be the end."

"If so, did you all... ... find it?"

Chen Xiaolian swept his gaze past the faces of all present.

Gabriel and Cheng Cheng had taken over an instance dungeon in Romania and made it so it could not be cleared.

Bai Qi believed in killing off Awakened ones and Players, taking their metal spheres to create an infinite amount of Irregularities before killing the Irregularities to fill World's End to its limit. He believed that would cause the system to collapse.

Mr San had utilized the power of the Oddity to create a portable mini shield, which he carried with him at all times.

If one were to consider Zero City a sanctuary, the shield on Mr San was the equivalent of... ... a protective talisman.

The talisman could block out part of the system's rules, allowing him to freely enter and exit most instance dungeons without being discovered by the system.

There was no need to ask. If not even Zero City could resist the refresh, the talisman would surely be incapable of resisting as well.

Zhao Yun had been residing within World's End all this time. The refresh that the system executed upon the outside world did not affect her, allowing her to escape it all.

The only ones left were Shen and Duwei. Chen Xiaolian did not know if they possessed the answer.

"Let's talk about you first." Duwei looked at Shen. "Although I do not know the exact details of what you are planning on doing, I do have a rough speculation. The path you found... ... it has something to do with the item you snatched from those religious fanatics from Jerusalem, right?"

"Jerusalem?" Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Those weaklings whose brain cells are weaker than their muscles?"

"Don't say that." Shen gave a faint smile. "Compared to ordinary Awakened ones, they are quite strong. Though... ... I do agree with your judgement towards their intellect."

Shen brought his hand up before gently pressing down upon the stone slab. Next, following a flash of light, a box appeared beneath his palm.

After that, Shen reached out with his hand to open the lid of the box. Instantly, golden light shone outwards before gradually dimming down.

Within the box was a pair of pure white wings.

Chen Xiaolian's heart gave a thump.

Jerusalem?

Religious fanatics?

Shen and Gabriel were talking about Mene's group.

Back then, in the Jerusalem instance dungeon, Meteor Rock Guild had had to face a tough battle, nearly facing complete annihilation in the process. It was during the fight that Qiao Qiao had sacrificed herself to save him.

In the final stage of the decisive battle, Mene's team had brought out such a pair of wings. It contained within it a terrifying level of power.

However, Gabriel was now calling them a bunch of 'weaklings'.

"I don't get it." Gabriel looked at Shen before shaking his head. "Is this their so-called sacred artefact? It is just a prop produced by the system. Are there any amongst us who would place any value upon this item?"

After saying that, he turned to smile at Duwei. "Your Moonless Fivefold Light Armour, Flash Bow of Ketu-Rahu, Tearlight Crystal... ... any one of them is much more powerful compared to this item, no? A pity, Shen had destroyed them."

"Gabriel, you simply do not understand its significance." Shen slowly shook his head. "Those fools from Jerusalem only care about the power contained within this item, a power that seems negligible to the likes of us. However... ... its value does not lie within that power!

"It is, the governing laws!"

Gabriel frowned. He extended his hand to pull the pair of wings out from the box. He then raised it up before his eyes, turning it in every direction as he inspected it. Shen made no attempts to stop him.

"The Hell? Why don't I feel any governing laws hidden inside?" No matter how hard he tried, Gabriel was unable to find anything special about the pair of wings. Dejected, he then tossed it back into the box.

"At certain times, religious devotion can prove to be useful," said Shen casually. "Be it the so-called prayer or meditation, they are all to induce a special state, to focus and push one's mental power to a level beyond the norm.

"When a person who is in an extreme state of devotion makes contact with this pair of wings, there is a chance for that person to obtain the information hidden within the wings.

"The founder of the religious fanatics in Jerusalem was someone who had obtained a great deal of information and power from the wings.

"Relying on that power, that fellow established his own guild, a guild that had endured till this very day.

"Throughout the successive generations, there would occasionally be one who could, through their devotion, enter an extreme mental state to obtain the information and power within the wings.

"These people are known as Holy Apprentices.

"Naturally, a Holy Apprentice does not always appear in every generation. After all, even if they are all religious fanatics, there are differences to their level of fanaticism. Only the most fanatic amongst them could possibly make a connection with the wings.

"One such person appeared in the previous generation.

"He... ... is very strong. Although his position in the order was just the lowest, a novitiate, his devotion allowed him to obtain the power within the wings."

"What kind of power?" asked Gabriel with a frown.

Shen smiled and gave an answer which caused everyone present to gape. "I was no match for him."

"I know that you all do not believe me." Shen looked at them all. "The power fluctuation coming off this item is not that strong. Used as an ordinary prop, it could at most increase its user's strength by a little. In fact... ... it can't even reach [S] class.

"However, if the user could truly resonate with this item and comprehend the true power contained within it, the result would be completely different."

"You mentioned the governing laws earlier. Is that really something shocking though?" Zhao Yun cast a frown at Shen. "After making contact with the Oddity, we too, had comprehended the governing laws of this world."

"He is different now." Gabriel's face sank as he shook his head. "The current Shen... ... can 'modify' the governing laws. Before you came, Cheng Cheng had used her Spatial Annihilation Skill to attack him. However, he... ... emerged unscathed."

The faces of both Zhao Yun and Bai Qi turned serious.

"It is true." Shen nodded with an air of elegance. "By relying on the Oddity, we are able to comprehend the governing laws of this world. We could also utilize the laws, turning us into existences that surpass the other Awakened ones and Players. However, the ability to utilize the governing laws alone is something far removed from the apex.

"What I saw, what the fanatic Holy Apprentice from Jerusalem did, he managed to... ... modify the governing laws!

"I had never imagined I would one day lose to someone who is not a member of our group, an Awakened. And yet, it happened.

"Thankfully, although I lost, it was not a wretched loss. While he was stronger than me, it was not at the level where he could easily kill me off.

"After that, I became greatly interested in the source of the law modifying power.

"I wanted to get it. Alone, however, I am incapable of defeating that fellow. Thus... ... I thought of the strongest amongst us."

"So, the reason you went to World's End to find me is for me to help you snatch this item?" said Bai Qi coldly. "Thanks to you, I ended up in a wretched state."

"At least you have escaped that predicament now. Besides... ... I did not know that such a flaw exists within the Lifehymn Music Score." Shen spread open his hands. "After I got you out, you ended up within an instance dungeon. As for the others from our gang, I did not think we would have any chances of beating that Holy Apprentice even if we were to join forces against him. Thus, I gave up on the plan to snatch away that pair of wings.

"Because, once I figured out what the pair of wings was, I was certain that it was not the only one in this world.

"I established Thorned Flower Guild and began searching through every corner of the world. Finally, I found another pair of wings.

"After getting that pair of wings, I also obtained the power to modify the governing laws. I returned to Jerusalem and snatched the pair of wings away.

"Later on, I discovered several other wings. Of the information and power within the wings, some were similar, some were different. However, by piecing them all together, I obtained... ... the truth of it all!"

"So, what exactly is this thing?" Gabriel rapped the surface of the stone slab. "Judging by what you said, this thing might be more powerful compared to the Oddity?"

"The wings of an angel." Shen gave a simple reply. "Since you know of those fanatics, you should also know what they call it."

"I am asking you a real question here." Gabriel gave Shen a glare. "How could there be angels in this world? Unless you are referring to... ... the monsters created by the system for instance dungeons."

"Of course not." Shen shook his head. "The fanatics from Jerusalem may be weak and stupid, but they are not wrong about this.

"According to their legends, in an ancient era, God had once dispatched out countless angels to engage in a decisive battle against a demon who was attempting to destroy the world. Naturally, the battle ended with the God's faction emerging victorious and the demon sealed. However, during the battle, many angels were killed in action. These wings are the remnants of the dead angels."

"What nonsense!" Gabriel pulled his lips to the side. "Every time the world refresh is complete, we would leave Thirty-three Heavens to return to the outside world. After this time's refresh, I have never heard of a battle between angels and demons."

"The ancient era that they are referring to is not this era." Shen reached out with his hand to gently stroke the wings inside the box. As his palm stroked the pure white wings, wave after wave of golden light rippled out from the wings. "Rather, it is referring to the era right after the creation of this world.

"As for the demon..."

Shen raised his hand to point at his smiling face. "It is referring to me."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Gabriel slammed his palm down on the stone slab heavily. "This world had undergone so many refreshes before. We, by relying on Thirty-three Heavens, managed to escape the fate of being refreshed. However, everyone else only came to be after the refresh. The system created them! How could those pieces of trash know about something that happened before the refresh?"

"After I tell you just what these things are, you will not feel shocked anymore." Shen smiled again. "Those so-called angels are actually...

"Bodies that the Development Team created for themselves!"

"The Development Team?" Gabriel was momentarily at a loss for words. Then, he continued, "In other words, those are Exclusive Accounts that they created to personally login to have a go with you... ... I mean, to have a go with your former self, the first GM?"

"Yes." Shen nodded his head. "Since then, the world had undergone several refresh processes. However, these wings did not disappear in the refreshes. Instead, they endured till this very day."

"But... how could these things endure for so long?" asked Gabriel with a frown. "Even if we look at the high-ranking Players with their own Exclusive Accounts, after they die, their corpses will not remain behind. Furthermore... ... so many refreshes had happened since then. And yet, it could continue to endure!"

"Because you do not understand just how powerful the Development Team are. Even more so, you do not understand what they are."

Shen lowered his voice before continuing slowly, "They, not only are they not from our world, they are also not from the Players' world."