“Then I understand…” The slacking dog slowly sat up straight, his expression serious as he stared at the ground.
“Right… That’s probably the case. Brother Goat arranged a separate plan for her, and this plan likely doesn’t include us at all,” Groundhog said. “So that Ox is planning to use us as cannon fodder to achieve her own ‘great feat.'”
“So you’re saying…” The slacking dog followed Groundhog’s train of thought, “That everything those two women said about the ‘plan’ today… can’t be trusted at all?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Groundhog shook his head. “We’ve been dealing with that hot-headed chicken for days now… She doesn’t seem like the type who wants us dead, so I’m willing to believe her for now. But that Ox leader? I’m not so sure.”
“In other words, you think the plan—from ‘destroying the equipment’ to boarding the ‘train’—might be real, but everything after boarding could be fake.” The slacking dog slowly shook his head. “But how I wish the ‘counter-kill’ part was true…?”
“I’ve told you, Dog Leader,” Groundhog said seriously. “Even if this plan is real… it’d be nearly impossible for us to pull off.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Now’s the time to test how many smart people are left in the team…” Groundhog said. “Dog Leader, I don’t have deep ties with the others, so I’ve only told you. Whether they decide to go for the ‘Celestial’ kills or not depends on how sharp their minds are. But no matter what, we have to adapt on the fly.”
“And what do you mean by ‘adapt on the fly’?” the slacking dog pressed.
“Our goal is indeed to ‘kill the Celestials,’ but we absolutely cannot rush into their rooms and fight them one-on-one,” Groundhog leaned in closer, speaking very quietly. “Since the ‘wrong team’ met the ‘wrong people’ at the ‘wrong time’ and mistakenly accepted the ‘wrong plan,’ then we’ll play along with these mistakes and turn them into our own ‘right’ outcome.”
“You…” The dog leader pondered. “Elaborate.”
“Stick to the plan at first. If one day the giant clock and display are destroyed, we’ll help the ‘destroyers’ board the ‘train.’ But after that… we must never be the first to strike a Celestial,” Groundhog explained carefully. “We stand no chance in a direct fight… so we have to wait.”
“But what are we waiting for…?”
“Worst case, we wait for the first person to make a move,” Groundhog said. “Even if we kill all the ‘Celestials,’ we’d still have to face the four ‘Divine Beasts.’ And the strongest among the Celestials, ‘Heavenly Dragon,’ can’t be killed… So we wait. We wait for others to create chaos, then pretend to assist and see if there’s an opening.”
“But will that work?” The slacking dog frowned. “This is clearly a ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma.’ If someone really does strike first, all the ‘Celestials’ might show up, and that person won’t accomplish anything either. But if we all attack at once…”
“Then we all die together,” Groundhog said. “Dog Leader, you usually act like a real dog, but now you’re hitting me with game theory?”
“Isn’t that the truth…?”
“Let me make my stance clear…” Groundhog said. “If you follow my plan, and things go south, we can switch sides at any time. But if you choose to strike first, whether you succeed or not, you’ll be in grave danger.”
“So you’re saying… you might betray Brother Goat at the last moment?”
“Leader…” Groundhog’s gaze turned unusually cold. “What kind of talk is that? In a critical moment, forget Brother Goat—even you, I’d sell out without hesitation.”
The slacking dog fell silent, staring at Groundhog without a word.
“I can’t be like that reckless Tiger,” Groundhog chuckled. “He’d die for Brother Goat for no reason, but I won’t… I don’t want to die.”
The slacking dog nodded slightly. “I get it…”
“I just want stability.” Groundhog patted the dog’s shoulder. “If this opportunity isn’t good, I don’t mind waiting for the next one.”
“I can’t put it as casually as you…” The slacking dog said quietly. “But my thoughts are similar. The only reason I joined Brother Goat’s team was because of my mentor’s dying wish… I’d do a lot for that wish, but I won’t die for it.”
“In that case, Dog Leader, just follow my lead.” Groundhog stood up. “That Ox leader wants to use us, but whether we let her or not… we’ll decide when the time comes.”
“Got it.” The slacking dog nodded.
“Besides, don’t you think the real content of this plan hasn’t fully surfaced yet?”
“Oh?”
“All these ‘participants’ boarding the train… What are they really here for?” Groundhog continued. “They can’t beat us in strength, and they can’t match the ‘Celestials’ in ‘echoes,’ yet Brother Goat insists on getting them on board…”
“You’re saying the ‘participants’ have their own plan…” The slacking dog mused.
“Exactly. When the time comes, we act based on the ‘big picture.'” Groundhog said. “Don’t rush to your death.”
The slacking dog nodded.
“Oh, one more thing…” Groundhog suddenly shifted the topic, looking at the dog leader again. “Dog Leader, what kind of ‘echo’ do you actually have?”
The slacking dog froze for a second before slowly smiling. “When did I ever… say I had an ‘echo’…?”
Groundhog frowned slightly, then grinned as well. “Fair point. You really are a dog.”
“Thanks.”
Groundhog didn’t press further, lowering his voice. “Dog Leader, if I’m not mistaken, you’ll definitely be tasked with receiving the ‘destroyers’ on the day of the plan. You’d better think ahead.”
“Me…?” The slacking dog’s face fell. “I have to plan in advance? That’s too much trouble…”
“We don’t know how many we’ll receive, but they’ll definitely be hunted by the ‘upper ranks’… You should figure out how to get them safely to the ‘train.'”
At that, the slacking dog seemed to remember something. “Wait… That Ground Chicken mentioned ‘Zodiacs’ facing ‘Death Gates’… So could ‘Death Gate’ refer to ‘Azure Dragon’? If the displays and giant clock are destroyed that day, he’ll go berserk and hunt down all the ‘participators.’ If he shows up, any ‘Zodiac’ protecting the ‘destroyers’ will die on the spot.”
Groundhog considered the idea but found too many holes.
“‘Azure Dragon’ has ‘Spirit Hearing’ and ‘Warp Jump’…” Groundhog stroked his beard. “If he truly loses it that day… there won’t just be one ‘Death Gate.’ He’ll locate all eight ‘Zodiacs’ instantly and slaughter them all.”
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