Baroness Artheim, usually composed, showed a flicker of concern. "A Celestial Alliance with seven illuminated beings. What are our options, Captain?"
Jack looked directly at her. "Option one: We try to stop them. A very risky choice. We don't understand the pearl's exact evolution mechanism. We have no way to know whether the pearl evolution has happened, is still happening, or will happen soon. We don't know whether the number of deaths has reached the necessary quotas or not."
"That means..." He continued. "We could only plan the way we will actively confront the seven 'illuminated combatants' outside, likely surrounded by their lesser goons."
"And we don't know their full strength. This sorcerer doesn't have enough information about them." He added. Pointing at the unconscious Jennow. "It's a gamble with too many unknown variables and too high a chance of failure."
Rune, the tiny fairy, pulsed a concerned orange beside his ear. Their situation was indeed not really good now.
Reina stepped forward. "What about option two, Dear?" Her gaze was steady. She knew that Jack had another plan.
"Option two: We don't try to actively stop them. We focus on what we can control right now." Jack stated. His eyes swept over his companions. "We continue to hunt creatures in this realm. Maximize our own scores. Trying to rank the highest."
"When the tournament event ends, we get out." He continued. "If the Alliance's plan is wrong, and the pearl doesn't evolve, we get our prizes and leave. If the pearl evolves..."
He stopped an took a deep breath. "Well, if it evolves, it evolves. We let the Grandmoon Kingdom handles the Alliance. Our mission will be to survive. Not to save the world from those nasty group's schemes."
Jack didn't like the choice. But, he realized that the crew didn't have enough power to join in the upcoming chaos. He wanted to deliver a deadly judgement toward the guilty Alliance. But his first priority was... protecting his own group.
Ned pragmatically nodded from the side. "It's the safer play. We stick to survival."
"But what about the illuminated beings?" Chloe Chase asked. Her hand was resting on Sparkle's soft furs. "If they're waiting outside, won't they just attack us when we exit?"
"Not necessarily." Leon refuted her. "Their target is the pearl. They will likely focus on attacking the Moonlight Queen and her guardians."
"And Grandmoon Kingdom is not that weak." Baroness Artheim said. "It manages to maintain its sovereignty this far despite the attempts of many countries to colonize it. It's not just because of luck."
"The Prime Minister is an illuminated being." Jack said. "And the Queen is very close to being one. I suspect the Queen had a way to boost her power to illuminated level. And I feel at least three illuminated-level powerhouses were in the castle."
"Quite accurate." Baroness Artheim agreed. "My information also implies that the kingdom has at least four known big shots... the prime minister, the sky general, the sea general, and the land general."
"That means we shouldn't be in much danger." Leon concluded. "At least, in the early stage of the clash."
"Indeed." Jack agreed. "Once we were out of this realm, we should focus on reuniting with Argust and the others outside. When a battle happened, we needed to stay low-key. Focusing on survival. Probably assisting the civilians when it didn't endanger us."
"If the Grandmoon Kingdom is able to handle all of the illuminated threats, we can act in more active manners. Eliminating the lower members of the Alliance." He continued. "But if the opposite happens..."
Jack stayed silent for a moment. "I'll pull everyone into the Mirror Mansion..." He finally said. "... and use one of my trump cards to escape from the island."
A collective murmur went through the group. They knew the Mirror Mansion. It was a pocket dimension accessible only through Jack. It was indeed an ultimate sanctuary for them. It was unassailable from outside, provided Jack could open the gateway in time.
"Your trump cards? The long distance teleportation?" Reina immediately asked.
"Yes." Jack nodded. "The last teleportation point I've set up is near the Appleseed Town. We'll have to redo our voyage from there if I used it. But, it's still better than death, isn't it?"
Jack sighed and said. "I have another trump card though. I plan to use that one instead." He looked at the others. "When I have to, I'll switch places with Jack Mystery."
Baroness Artheim raised an eyebrow. "Jack Mystery? The specter?"
"The very same." Jack confirmed. "As a member of the Circle of Jack, he also had the [Switch Medallion] like me. His service is a bit more expensive than Jack Lantern. But, it's definitely worth it."
"You've got to pay him? With money?" Chloe asked. She knew Jack Mystery and couldn't imagine the specter needed money at all.
"Not with money in his case." Jack replied. "But with soul crystals... or a favor..."
"Anyway..." He focused back to the case. "Jack Mystery is not an illuminated being. He's not strong enough to defeat any of the illuminated threat. But his survival ability is well... extreme."
"Of course." Chloe grumbled. "He's already dead after all."
"With him in my place, he'll be able to gather intelligence, cause a distraction, and ensure they're too preoccupied to focus on anything else." Jack said. "And more importantly, he could escape the danger without moving so far back to Appleseed Town."
"Once things settle..." He continued. "... or when he's already in a safe place, we'll switch back. Then, I'll take all of you out of the Mansion."
Leon stroked his chin. "A hidden sanctuary and a ghost in the middle of a battle. Risky, but clever. It certainly keeps us out of the direct line of fire."
"It's the best strategy we have given the circumstances." Jack concluded. "We can't change what's going to happen to that pearl. But, we can try to control our own survival rate."
He looked at the unconscious sorcerer. "First order of business. Let's collect what's useful from him. Then we move."
Ned and Bell immediately went to work. They systematically stripped the sorcerer of his equipment. A small leather pouch yielded several silver coins and a handful of well-packed healing potions.
Without a word, Leon took both of the sorcerer's legs with a pair of lightning blasts. A sickening boom echoed through the quiet forest. But the cultist didn't even stir.
Jack watched. His face was impassive. The sorcerer wasn't any innocent. Not killing him was already good enough. Justice had a cost.
"Right!" Jack said. "Let's join forces. The plan remains. Hunt! Gain scores! Survive! Don't engage other teams unless provoked."
He grinned. "But if we are provoked, try to incapacitate the opponent. Loot them before crippling or killing them. Ask Ned how he lost his precious loots for killing his target too quickly."
And so, the mission continued. The two teams were now fully aware of the stakes and their revised objective. They plunged deeper into the Battle Moon Realm.
Jack took the lead for both groups. To make it more efficient, he shifted again. His human form was replaced by a hulking rakshasa in blazing armor.
The first encounter was again another pack of Moonshard Werewolves. They emerged from the underbrush. Their crystal-like pelts shimmered under the huge red moon.
Jack didn't hesitate. He launched his [Chains of Vengeance] to restrain one of the werewolves. At the same time, he slammed his massive [Judgement Warhammer] into the chest of the leading werewolf. Sending it airborne.
"Attack!" Jack roared.
Reina utilized her [Absolute Blink]. Disappearing into a puff of grey smoke to reappear behind the lunging beasts. Her dual handguns spat rhythmic, loud shots. Each bullet was etched with holy energy. One that tore through the wolves' supernatural defenses like nothing.
Aella was as deadly. She was small but terrifying. Her [Voidfire Blink] left sparks of purple-black flame. And her nightmarish revolver punched a smoking hole into the monster bodies.
Another ambusher in the team was Chloe. She was small and nimble. Drifting and diving through the shadows like an untouchable ghost. Striking at tendons and throats with shadow spikes.
Her lightning kirin cub, Sparkle, also darted between shadows. Emitting pulses of paralyzing electricity that locked their foes in place. Waiting for the finishing blows.
Not far away, Moby stood tall. Taking a role of another vanguard. He had casted a [Rock Armor] spell to create a layer of granite plating over his already massive frame. He took the attacks from the werewolves without flinching. Laughing as he traded blows with them.
Bell also moved with the fluidity of a veteran combatant. His [Buckler of Retribution] absorbed damage and reflected them back at the attackers. Occasionally, he added the damage with point-blank shots from the steamrune handguns he wielded.
On the other side, Leon was another anomaly in the battlefield. He was draped in his draconic armor. But he fought like a wizard, not a knight. He flipped his grimoire open and unleashed chained lightning toward the enemies.
With the three of them as vanguards, Baroness Artheim stood casually behind them. Summoning constructs of blinding, jagged lightning elementals... in the form of birds or small foxes. Ones that crashed into opponents and electrocuted them.
Ned didn't bother hiding on top of the tree either. He calmly placed himself beside the baroness. Aiming his steamrune rifle with mechanical precision.
Barnaby was behind them. Playing a weirdly cheerful battle song on his lute. Delivering heavy psychic pressure toward opponents. But to the team, the music bolstered their stamina and sharpened their perception.
They tore through the packs of Moonshard Werewolves easily.
The numerous numbers of Pink Goblins and Pink Hobgoblins, attracted to the battle afterward, weren't their match either. They quickly turned into points as the two teams worked together to dismantle them.
Vicious Lagomorphs were next. These were rabbits. But not the cute, fluffy kinds of rabbits. Nor the annoying pests like the Bloodthirsty Rabbits Jack had previously faced. These were man-sized, muscle-bound humanoid rabbits.
These monsters had razor-sharp claws and teeth like daggers. Their eyes were glowing red in the dim light. They moved with terrifying speed. Bounding through the undergrowth rapidly. Their powerful legs were kicking up sprays of damp earth.
But they were still not the equal opponents for the combined teams. Both teams massacred these rabid beasts very quickly. Turning them into points without much problem.
As they moved further, the forest gave way to a wider, more open expanse. It was a reddish savanna dominated by stunted, gnarled trees.
Here, they found a large herd of Berserk Bulls. These were enormous, black-furred bovines with horns like sharpened steel. Their dark hides were rippling with immense muscle.
They weren't docile, peaceful herbivores. They were hostile, savage omnivores. They pawed at the ground. Snorting plumes of vapor in the cold air. Their eyes were wild with aggression.
"Get them!" Jack bellowed loudly. Charging forward with no hesitation. He didn't see them as any threat. For him, they were just points for the competition.
The other members of the two teams weren't as reckless as Jack. They coordinated the attacks. Cooperating to be as efficient as possible in 'harvesting' these points.