End of Days Game: I'm the Only One Who Can See the Hidden Cues

While Major Joseph was rushing toward the defensive position outside Valley City, Jeremy and Ritchie were engaged in a serious discussion about the tactics they would need in the imminent battle.

Both of them understood perfectly well how difficult the upcoming confrontation would be.

The power wielded by more than twenty Moon Envoys was absolutely overwhelming.

Such a large gathering of Moon Envoys could potentially allow [Moon] to project its power directly into the real world.

If [Moon] truly managed to project its power into Valley City, everyone within the city would be transformed into monsters by the moonlight's influence.

Should that happen, the disparity in strength would grow even more extreme.

"I don't think we stand a chance at all! We should just take this opportunity to flee while Major Joseph is away!"

Ritchie, already somewhat disheartened, voiced his pessimism.

He believed that the difference in power had reached an irreparable level.

If the Moon Envoys appeared outside Valley City, the situation would spiral completely out of control.

Thus, Ritchie hoped he could persuade Jeremy to flee with him.

Though Ritchie knew Jeremy was unlikely to agree, he felt compelled to share his thoughts.

Jeremy chuckled softly.

"I would never do that. If we just walk away, Valley City will be utterly destroyed. That would be incredibly irresponsible," Jeremy stated firmly.

He knew full well that Ritchie was joking—at least partially.

"Think harder. Maybe we can use your Soul Division ability to counter the Moon Envoys," Jeremy suggested as a potential plan came to mind.

Ritchie was visibly startled by the idea and responded in a slightly exasperated tone, "You still want me to use my Soul Division ability? Have you forgotten what happened during the fight in the last town? Not only did my Soul Division fail to eliminate the Moon Envoys, but it also created more of them.

"Twenty Moon Envoys are already beyond what we can handle. If even more of them are created, we won't even have a chance to escape."

Though Ritchie was explaining, his tone carried a hint of irritation.

Ritchie had essentially fallen into a state of deep despair.

Jeremy, however, showed no sign of anger at Ritchie's frustrated response.

Jeremy simply furrowed his brows, deep in thought, trying to devise the next battle plan.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

At that moment, Major Joseph approached the two of them.

"I've already informed the mayor about the situation. The mayor assured me he'll reach out to the federal authorities for reinforcements. However, I don't think we can place all our hopes on that support arriving in time," Major Joseph said as he looked at Jeremy and Ritchie.

Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment, while Ritchie stood off to the side, his expression blank.

"You've probably come up with some kind of plan to fight back, haven't you? Can you share it with me? The monsters will be here in three hours!"

Major Joseph had already noticed the despair etched across Ritchie's face, but he refused to give up hope. Deep down, he believed Jeremy might have a strategy to turn the tide.

Jeremy let out a bitter laugh upon hearing Major Joseph's question and then sighed heavily.

"I've been thinking for a long time, but my conclusion is that there's simply no way for us to defeat these monsters. Even a single one of them is incredibly powerful. With twenty of them gathered together, it's beyond our ability to prevail."

Jeremy's words struck a heavy blow to Major Joseph's resolve, leaving him momentarily devastated.

"What are we supposed to do, then? Are you telling me to abandon Valley City? Even if we were willing to give up the city, we don't have the means to evacuate everyone in such a short time.

"Evacuating so many people would require a massive amount of transportation. Even if the federal authorities and military headquarters were willing to help, there's no way they could get that many vehicles here in three hours," Major Joseph said, his voice trembling slightly.

At that moment, a change finally flickered across Ritchie's face.

Ritchie found himself growing irritated with Major Joseph's persistence.

"The situation is indeed as dire as you've described. Facing them head-on is absolutely out of the question. But I never said we had to abandon Valley City," Jeremy said slowly.

Jeremy's words left both Major Joseph and Ritchie a bit surprised. They turned their eyes toward him in unison.

"We can come up with a plan to prevent these monsters from approaching Valley City. While we don't know exactly why they're heading here, we can send someone to lure them away."

"As long as we can draw these monsters away from Valley City, the crisis will be completely resolved. This way, we won't need reinforcements, nor will we have to evacuate the civilians in Valley City," Jeremy stated his idea clearly.

A faint smile finally appeared on Major Joseph's face.

However, that smile quickly faded.

Although Jeremy's plan had a chance of success, it required someone strong enough to capture the monsters' attention and lure them away.

In Valley City, only three people had the necessary strength: Major Joseph, Jeremy, and Ritchie.

Before Major Joseph could respond, Ritchie spoke up.

"So, what you're suggesting is that we take on the task of distracting those monsters?" Ritchie asked, feigning surprise. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Even if we are stronger than most, we shouldn't be taking such a huge risk."

Jeremy sighed slightly, clearly a bit exasperated.

Ritchie's point was valid, but given the current circumstances, there was no avoiding the risk.

If they refused to bear that risk, it would fall upon the civilians of Valley City instead.

"You're absolutely right. Carrying out this plan will involve immense danger. That's why I won't force anyone to act with me. If you're unwilling to join, I'll take action alone," Jeremy declared, his tone resolute.

It was evident that Jeremy had already made up his mind.

Even if no one volunteered to accompany him, he was determined to lure the Moon Envoys away by himself.

To Jeremy, the Moon Envoys were targeting him specifically.

If he and Ritchie had never come to Valley City, the Moon Envoys wouldn't have either.

Jeremy's response didn't surprise Ritchie, but it caught Major Joseph off guard.

From Major Joseph's perspective, Valley City's crisis had nothing to do with Jeremy.

The fact that Jeremy was even willing to offer his help already moved Major Joseph deeply.

What Joseph had never expected was that Jeremy would willingly put himself in such immense danger to protect Valley City.

Major Joseph, deeply moved, spoke directly.

"I'll go with you! I'll do everything in my power to ensure your safety! You're doing this for Valley City, and I won't let you face it alone!" Major Joseph declared passionately, his voice trembling with emotion.

For a moment, Jeremy was at a loss for words.

He wasn't sure how to respond, and the intensity of Joseph's statement left him feeling awkward.

As Jeremy struggled to find something to say, Ritchie spoke up slowly.

"If Major Joseph is willing to join the operation, then, of course, I'll go too. With the three of us working together, we should be able to minimize the danger, right?"

Ritchie had already been leaning toward this decision for some time.

The reason he hadn't spoken earlier was that he wasn't sure if Major Joseph would agree to join them.

Now that Major Joseph had made his stance clear, Ritchie saw no reason to waste any more time.

"Since you both have agreed to join me, let's finalize our plan of action quickly. Once we've worked out the details, we need to inform the others immediately.

"After we leave, Valley City will depend entirely on them for defense. While the city is unlikely to face any threats other than those monsters, we still need to prepare for any unexpected situations," Jeremy reminded Major Joseph firmly.

Major Joseph nodded, fully understanding the gravity of the situation.

Without wasting any time, he and Jeremy began drafting their action plan.

The plan itself was relatively straightforward: they needed to approach the vicinity of the monsters, draw their attention, and then lead them away from Valley City.

"Now that we have our plan in place, I'll inform the others about it. Give me fifteen minutes, and I'll be back to join you for the mission," Major Joseph said before promptly leaving.

He had to relay the plan to the other defenders in Valley City to ensure the city was adequately prepared in their absence.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Ritchie began preparing themselves for the operation.

Both men were keenly aware that the Moon Envoys would target them as their primary adversaries.

This meant they had to make thorough preparations—not just for the confrontation with the monsters, but also for the possibility that [Moon] might project its full power into the real world.

[Moon], as a designer of the apocalypse game, might not have displayed an excessively cruel side, but it undoubtedly harbored significant hostility toward Jeremy.

Jeremy and Ritchie had to steel themselves for a grueling battle! Only by preparing for the worst could they hold onto any reasonable hope of success.