Should I interfere as well?\” Jin asked but Qiu Yue, Moloch and Kraft simultaneously and vehemently shot down the suggestion of the dungeon supplier.
\”You might be more powerful than your customers, but you are not all mighty. Don’t forget you will be up against an entire army. If you start to interfere they might get pressured too much and it will be more likely for King Baal to appear on the battlefield. Let’s also not forget your symbolic value. Watching you get defeated will plummet the morale. It would be equivalent to checkmate in our eyes.\” Moloch explained to him why it would be better for Jin to wait for the right time.
\”Let your customers have some fun. Duke Vepar knows not to destroy the sky bridge. It will make things harder for his troops and the rest of the demons that have yet to appear. He is probably aiming for the watchtowers to reduce the number of defences that we have.\”
\”Hmm, that seems strange. Shouldn’t they be able to create something like a sky bridge with magic?\” Kraft argued, and Moloch was quite stumped. The plushie was unsure about whether to answer truthfully or create an excuse.
\”Technically…they can, but just believe me when I say they will only do it if there is a need to. I know it sounds tactically stupid, but sometimes that is just how us demons work. We really prefer to let the underlings do the job and claim the glory so that afterwards we can gloat about how much our guys contributed. I’d think someone like you could appreciate that line of thought.\” Moloch tried to reason, but Kraft easily countered.
\”Sure, sure. However, it’s one thing to send your people to accomplish something, yet it seems there is more glory to be had if one leads them directly. Haven’t we deployed the Royal Snake troops on standby at every single floating island platform for that particular scenario?\” Kraft pushed, and Moloch gave up.
\”Yes! But they didn’t do that yet! And I have no idea why that is! The only person off the top of my head that could do this without a problem would actually be Princess Gaap herself. And yet, for some reason, she did not do so before getting shot in the chest. I mean, she sure had plenty of time before she got killed. So, stop asking me about this!\” Moloch suddenly lost his temper and yelled.
\”Woah, woah. Chill down, little cotton butt. I was just thinking about other possibilities. Besi-\” Kraft was suddenly slapped in the face with a duct tape courtesy of Qiu Yue before he could make the situation any worse.
\”Moloch, take five and cool down. I do not need a hothead on the war table. If I see any irrational decisions, I am sending you out to the battlefield.\” Qiu Yue ordered, and Moloch sighed. Nodding his puppet’s head in silence, he walked out of the room for a breather.
\”Now that our little friend is gone, may I be so frank to tell you that we are probably gonna get fucked by these demons?\” Kraft bluntly stated after ripping the tape off, which made Qiu Yue and Jin on the line, perplexed. All seemed well so far, so the crafty fox sighed at their blissful ignorance.
\”I can understand Jin since he wasn’t part of the planning process, but you disappoint me, cutie. You have started focusing too much on our own plans without imagining yourself walking in your enemy’s shoes. We’ve been fighting over this chokepoint for more than four hours. Since the start of the battle, our side has defeated their soldiers ranging in the thousands… and yet, there is no sign of relenting at all. Instead, more elites are coming in, and even more foot soldiers are trying their luck to have a piece of us.\”
\”For once, you are rather pessimistic of the situation.\” Jin was a little wary. The Original Bellator had a point but knowing Kraft, there’s got to be some angle in this.
\”No, I’m just being realistic and probably taking more things into consideration than you two due to experience. In this instance, it would be their reputation. From what I have learned talking with our cotton friend and that metal slug, they really are a prideful bunch, and they care about their image.\”
\”…Maybe a little too much. So don’t you think it would be strange if they were sending their soldiers to be slaughtered for so long if they did not have any ulterior motives or were planning something else?\” Kraft continued to babble on without allowing the others to interrupt his line of thoughts. He was dead set of keeping the conversation in his favour.
\”Oh and speaking about alternate plans… Before they began their attack, Moloch had suggested a very ‘interesting’ idea. Suffice to say he briefly told me how we could infiltrate the Demon Metropolis and get to their dungeon core. That is of course, barring changes from his knowledge of the city.\” Kraft replied with his trademarked slight grin. Somehow he actually managed to lead their conversation into a direction where he offered them a solution to their problem. (Was all of this interaction planned by Moloch and Kraft?!)
\”So, you are suggesting that we should send a strike force into the Demon Metropolis. You already stated that we have our hands full here, how are we supposed to assign a strike squad in? If we are going in, we will be going in fully blind unless Moloch enters with you…which you know that is clearly insane.\” Jin asked, and Kraft shook his index finger.
\”Uh uh, my dear master. I am suggesting that yours truly should go instead. I’ve looked through cutie’s plans, and my little foxes nor I have any essential role to play in her plans. But I’ll need the whole crew including the one that is locked up by the System just for…you know as a guarantee that we will win this.\” Kraft deviously requested from Jin, but a quick shout from the dungeon supplier’s bracelet denied the plan wholeheartedly.
\”Nope, not me. I’m definitely not following you.\” Pei materialised from the bracelet and looked through the video call on Jin’s phone.
\”Aww, seriously? I mean…it’s rare for the foxes to come together as a group, assuming we can get Rex out to play.\” Kraft attempted to persuade Pei playfully, and it was obviously not going to work. It might also be his lone presence which only served to make Pei even angrier.
\”How much bad blood do you guys have for each other?\” Jin shook his head. How could it be that those ancie- ‘experienced’ bellators behaved like kids when put together?
\”LOTS\” Pei replied with a fit of anger, readying her fan and threw it through a portal.
\”NONE.\” Kraft happily declared while dodging the weapon.
\”THE TWO OF YOU STOP THAT! … Alright, let’s put it this way. Kraft, if Pei does not come along, will you be able to succeed with your objective in getting near their dungeon core? All I am looking for is just a pure distraction to alleviate the situation. Reaching the dungeon core will not be necessary.\” Jin asked, and Kraft took a bit of time to ponder.
\”Should be possible. But without her, the possibility of us actually reaching the core falls hard. It will definitely be best if I have her since she is kind of our only healer. The rest of the foxes are all combat offensive in nature.\” Kraft tried to reason professionally, but it only inadvertently made Pei roll her eyes. That guy was lying… she only did not know why exactly.
\”Yeah right, Evon’s drugs are enough to keep you guys going,\” Pei replied. \”Jin needs me more than you guys.\”
\”Come on, just one run for old time sake?\” Kraft asked rather nicely. \”Okay, fine how about I throw in 1000 System points in as-\”
\”Make it 3000 System points then I am in.\” Pei changed her tune so fast that Jin was absolutely stunned for a moment.
\”You drive a hard bargain. 2000 points.\” Kraft shook his head furiously.
\”3500 points.\” Pei raised the price further instead of negotiating.
\”Goddamnit woman, are you trying to rob me blind?… Fine. I can give you 2000 points, and as a little extra incentive, you’ll get to play around with your signature weapon just for this fight.\” Kraft lowered his head and adjusted his trench coat.
\”Deal. I will be there when the System teleports me.\” Pei returned back to her bracelet with a happy glee.
\”But you guys are not going in until King Baal appears. Else it will end up being a big waste of time since the dungeon core owner is the strongest when his core is in danger. We need him to at least waste his time and keep him occupied here for your team to get to the dungeon core.\” Moloch came in at an opportune moment to interject his opinion.
\”Then…I guess I will authorise your strike team assuming you do as Moloch said. And it’ll be only you and your foxes. NOT your Night Foxes. We need them on standby for future fights.\” Jin allowed the strike and Kraft secretly cheered especially since he got to have Rex by his side after such a long while.
\”Buddy, you will be out in no time, and we will show this world, how terrifying the foxes can be.\” Kraft thought to himself as he sent a private telepathy message to all the members of his skulk.
