The Anime Trope System: Stone Vs. The Viper, A LitRPG Novel. Chapter 409

Night…

Sponsored Content

Lot City, Satovia…

Clyde could feel Kitome's anger aura radiating a blazing purple, despite the fake smile she had on her face. The Gin smile, the evil Yandere smile. She felt like killing someone. Sazuki fumed too. Apparently, she was just ten minutes into falling asleep after listening to her sister, Kiko, ramble about some TV show. Chesire looked nervous. Alice appeared to be lost in thought, her hair not in twin tails due to the sudden call.

The young man finally turned to the left of him to give Hinako a blank stare.

"So, Hinako. Any particular reason why you're tagging along on this life-threatening march of doom?"

Hinako pouted. "Do you have a problem with me, quote unquote, tagging along? Or would you rather I sit in my house all day alone with no papers to grade?"

Clyde playfully raised his hands halfway into the air. "I surrender."

The young man checked his main stats as a thought crossed his mind. Grinding.

Name: Clyde.

Level: 211

Type: Main character/ Stone. Mystic.

HP: 800% (+110%) HP, health points, sat at a sweet nine hundred ten percent. The normal human limit rested at one hundred, unless of course they were magic users.

MP: 700% (+80%) Magic points suffered the same limitations, rooting itself at one hundred until surpa.s.sing it with the right training.

Ki: 300% Clyde acquired Ki, but for humans who were born with it, the young man wasn't sure if it also limited itself to one hundred percent. Ki functioned differently than magic, possibilities rested there.

Attack: 374 (+150)

Defense: 378 (+265)

Speed: 428

Luck: 420

Will: 426

Sponsored Content

Intellect: 574 He didn't feel smarter…

Form: 1/1.

Hidden stats revealed:

Special Defense: 344

Paranoia:

Charisma: 440(+50%)

Composure: 530

Evasion: 418

Reputation: level 8: I…believe in you!

Endurance: 490

Regeneration: 320

Haggling: 318. Clyde wasn't sure if he'd ever really use this. Then again, one would never know when the opportunity to negotiate for better pricing would come. For example, Harumi had perks and helped the young man get an amazing price for his first house.

The young man was a bit annoyed that two of his three pregnant fiancées came along for the ride. Natalia surprisingly stayed behind. Well, she was in Ming's room. The group left without consulting the loli-witch. Ah well, at least no one would be riding his back throughout the entire walk.

The only reason why they walked was because of Tear's warning. Taxies were dangerous. Contained in metal, the queen could manipulate them while in the city. Jumping was unfavorable with the dimensional manipulator around. Chesire could in theory redirect their Jumps or alter them in a way that attracted major debuffs. If push came to shove, and they had to fight the queen, the group needed to be at full strength.

When Clyde and the others reached Naomi's apartment, he made Chesire knock. The catgirl looked at him with pleading eyes, but everyone mutually agreed. She nervously knocked. Seconds later, a cute green-haired girl answered the door.

She anime-dove into the young man's embrace.

"Did she give you any clues to why she's here?" Clyde asked.

"Uhm," Naomi said softly. "She claimed to be a huge fan of my website and demanded an immediate audience with you, the student council president, and Kitome…for magical girl reasons."

Sponsored Content

"Now before I go in there, you're not going to tell me at the last second that this is a trap, right?" Clyde said to the journalist. He still wanted to scold Clare for doing that.

"I don't know anything about her," Naomi said then looked down. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Clyde said. "Let's go meet this fearsome queen."

Clyde coated himself with bands of the power, picturing a b.i.t.c.h of a foe. He'd smite down the arrogant twit, then make her beg for Naomi's forgiveness. She wouldn't be…

The young man's thoughts froze as they entered the journalist's small dining room. Sitting at Naomi's table, slurping instant cupped ramen was a busty woman with very light pink hair. Her eye color matched it. She wore a short summer dressed decked with heart designs. On the woman's head rested a small crown.

"I must say, these are delicious Naomi," she said, slurping another noodle, then looked up to see Clyde and the others staring at her.

"The queen's eating instant noodles," Chesire deadpanned.

Clyde and Team Stone anime-fell to the side.

Clyde's house…

Ichika's room…

Ichika put away her manga and just stared at the ceiling. This was not how she pictured her life as a Stone Maiden. She…didn't think that her role as an Arch Priestess would become obsolete. h.e.l.l, the Stone paid no attention to the Maidens whatsoever. It was as if they didn't exist. Ichika did not go through all of the ruthless training only to end up as a glorified maid.

Anger burned through her veins like lava and regret and sorrow. Pulled from a normal life as a child to be dedicated to someone they didn't know, only to…only to be ignored, pushed out of relevance. This couldn't be right. Their ent.i.ty contact must've given the Maidens false information.

Ichika crawled out of her bed, angrily shoving on her Shrine Maiden uniform. Enough was enough. If they weren't needed, they'd leave.

She sent a text to all the High Priestesses, knowing that they'd feel the same. They met her outside, also dressed.

"Are you sure about this?" Emi said.

"Don't tell me you're going to cry," Megu said to Emi. "Let me guess, you made so many wonderful friends and don't want to part with them."

She said "wonderful" with cold sarcasm. Team Stone didn't interact with the Stone Maidens at all. Except Kanako. Ichika came to love the kind genie.

Sponsored Content

"I didn't say that," Emi snapped. "Unlike you, I respect Ichika as Arch Priestess and wish her to make the best decisions."

Jae crunched on the last of her potato chips. "I agree with Ichika. I didn't sign up to be some maid."

They looked at the normally quiet kuudere. Ichika's decision solidified, hearing that even Jae acknowledged the mediocrity of their situation.

"What about you, Yumi?" Megu said. "What do you think of this c.r.a.ppy situation? Not that I feel like you'll have much of an opinion being in your room for most of the time."

Ichika whacked the redhead with a paper fan. "Ow! I was just kidding."

"Don't bully Yumi," Emi said.

"She'll never learn," Ichika said.

"I like working with Asu," Yumi said, gaining the shocked stares of the others.

"Well, she is kind. A little wonky sometimes, but reliable," Ichika said. "But I will not waste away my days without a purpose—not anymore. Grandmother didn't count on the Stone having a team already. He doesn't need us."

"You're…right," Yumi said softly, her voice almost cracking, then nodded, resolve glistening in her eyes. "He found his way on his own. We're unneeded."

Megu sighed. "Like always, eh?" She chuckled. "But hey, we've got each other. Screw the world."

Ichika nodded. "Let's say our goodbyes to Clare then Jump home. I'm done with this. I've…been thinking about quitting or disbanding the maidens. But I don't have the power to do that really, they can simply find another arch priestess."

She flinched when she looked up at the sad eyes of her stone maiden sisters. "Sorry, just rambling thoughts. Let's go."

Naomi's house…

"So you're him," the woman said after finis.h.i.+ng the last of her instant noodles. She even looked longing for more. Chesire, who was at the queen's side, took the empty Styrofoam cup and tossed it in the trashcan. "The G.o.d of Life and Eternity. The Stone of the Stone Viper Games. The man destined to face his arch nemesis in a death battle, probably for the fate of this world."

Clyde rolled his eyes. "So, why did you impose on my friend and call us here in the middle of the night? Why send your pet cat to kidnap Alice?"

"Ah, Alice," the queen said, completely unphased by the hidden threat in Clyde's voice. "I didn't believe for one second Chesire would succeed at getting past you and capturing Alice. She's not the type to get into fights she can't win. But she did help me learn just a little more about this realm. Sure, I could put Alice through the tale of Wonderland for my amus.e.m.e.nt, but I'm pretty sure her family would come knocking on my door." Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

"So why are you here?" Alice snapped.

The Queen of Hearts smiled. "You should have some manners, Princess Alice Hades of the Hades family. One of the most powerful houses in both the demon realm, Satovia, and even other places. Something I took as simply a rumor has spread even more than I imagine. So I personally left my throne to warn you. I'm also pleased to see how much you've grown. You really do take after your mother, you know."

"What's this warning?" Clyde said.

"We'll get to that—it's nothing life threatening," the queen said then turned to Sazuki. "Student council president, Sazuki Tesaka, older sister of Kiko Tesaka. I request for you to increase the funding of Sato Academy's newspaper. I will even front the bill if you approve."

Sazuki anime-fell backward. "I came all this way for…Wait, you're paying for it? What's the catch, lady? I don't believe in too good to be true things."

"No catch at all, I'm a big fan of Naomi's work," the queen said. "But it's clear that the budget is hurting. I mean look around."

"Yeah, I was actually about to offer her a room after this," Clyde said. "Not because of your budget request, but for her safety. Naomi, you're strong, but this isn't the first time someone went after you. Had it not been for Asu, that wizard a.s.sa.s.sin would've snuck in here and done who knows what to you."

Naomi shuddered, but for some reason, she looked like she wanted to object, as if she held the power to not only sense the wizard, but stop him. Then again, Clyde could be looking too deep into things. The girl only wanted to just live her life and earn her keep. The young man knew she'd refuse anything that seemed like charity.

"So why am I here?" Kitome said. "What could you possibly want from me?"

The queen's eyes went starry. "I'm a big fan, Kitome-chan! I'd like you to transform for me."

Silence.

"Wait!" she called after Kitome, but the magical girl slammed the door, leaving the apartment silent for a full minute following her leave.

Alice shook her head, visibly annoyed. "I'm leaving. This is clearly just a waste of my time."

"Are you sure about that?" the queen said. "Rumor says your grandmother has gotten news about what happened with your father and also your decision to become a House Head instead of a Demon Lord."

Alice paled.

"Don't hara.s.s my student," Hinako said. "It's her grandmother. I'm pretty sure she could use the love—"

"Is she headed this way?" Alice interrupted.

"I honestly don't know," said the queen. She chuckled. " I bet Wonderland's starting to sound like a nice offer now, is it not?"

Sazuki and Kiko looked confused. Clyde was out of the loop too. The half-demoness and Tear rarely spoke of their grandmother.

Sponsored Content